Day 37

Elidia is the young woman we built for this year.  She was 15 when she had her first child.  She married in a small village in an impoverished area of Mexico and had 3 more children before her husband ran off with another woman.  She is now 26 without an income or place to live.  Her family is often hungry.......she was thankful.    

I am 37 years old.  Plenty to eat, healthy, soft bed, climate controlled home, hundreds of DVDs.  I have more clothes than I know what to do with, I have a big yard, electricity, hot water, all sorts of creature comforts.  Am I thankful?  Do I consider sacrifice giving up.....internet....TV.....movies.....and radio for a month?  ......yes.....and.......it sounds kind of bogus when I think of Elidia.   Have our perspectives become so skewed that we do not realize the depth and scope of our blessings.  

Is there injustice in this world?  check

Is there poverty? check

Is there oppression? check

Hungry, hopeless, and hurting people?.........Then what am I going to do about it?  Not my government, rotary club, family or even church.  But what am I going to do realizing the buck stops here?

It can seem overwhelming.  And it is.  Although the magnitude of my influence in this world may be determined by God, the extent to which this influence is consummated is the extent to which I am willing to change myself.

Mother Teresa once said,"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love."  I want my sacrifice to be that complete....to be able to fixate on that alpha/omega love....not the hurt.  I want a crucifixion sacrifice that sees past the cross.  Maybe my baby step deprivations will eventually lead there.  Maybe not.   But at least I can conceive of what Paul discussed in Philippians 3.  At least I see myself in the race.   Now its just about doing what's necessary to win it.  Not there yet........but maybe with a little more training in grasping the utter graciousness of God ....I might be soon.  And then I can be truly thankful.