The Gift of You

"As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat

This wind is blowing my mind!

I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat

Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?"

~Lyrics from "Man in the Mirror"~

These are some common phrases I hear when discussing helping others -whether about adoption, giving financially, being involved in service trips, spending $$ on ourselves rather than helping others, etc...

"You can't save them all"

This one bothers me the most. Like it's an excuse to not even try. People tell me this all the time - usually when I'm talking about wanting to adopt again or if I tell them about specific children who need to be adopted before they lose their chance. Are people forgetting we are talking about living, breathing human beings? Helpless, hopeless, innocent children? So, we can't save 147 million orphans so we should ignore them and carry on with our own "blessed" lives. Like somehow it's our right to have a great life but not the orphans' right.

It would be interesting to see the people who say this during a time when their child's life was at stake.

"I work hard so I deserve to enjoy my money" (and all the materialistic things it can buy)

Okay, a little perspective. In North America we work in heated/air conditioned buildings (depending on season), if we work outside, we alter our work schedule with the seasons so we are not left out in the elements for hours on end, we work 7.5 hour days with 2 coffee breaks and a 1/2 hour lunch break (usually taken in fully equipped lunch rooms), people who work 12 hour shifts are compensated by getting more days off so they still only work the 37.5 hour work week, those who work longer hours or more days can do so at their own choice and with compensation, most jobs offer vacation time, sick time, personal days, mental health days, we also have the option of taking days off and not being fired, sometimes we are offered health insurance, free uniforms, free or discounted merchandise at the place we work, RRSP options, life insurance, sometimes employees even get free vehicles to drive around, housing allowances, food allowances, all-expense paid trips and certainly tax breaks for all our hard work!

In India right now there are men and women who are digging a lake - they are paid pennies to build this lake everyday. Guess how they are building it? With their hands. This is the truth. They are digging the lake with their hands! For pennies! For long, long hours every single day.

In poor countries all around the world there are children as young as age 5 who are working in fields for 14 hours a day. Every day. They will not go to school to be educated to get a better job.

In countries around the world there are children, both boys and girls, as young as age 4 who are being sold into the sex trade. They are made to "service" men with sex. As young as age 4. Every day they are forced to perform sex acts with adults. And other people are making money off these children.

Men and women in Third World countries work 14-16 hours every single day in sweatshops, making as little as $1/day. They work in disgusting, dirty and unsafe places to make $1/day.

Children in Guatemala (and may other countries) spend every day digging through garbage dumps looking for small items they can sell so they can feed themselves.

Oh yes! Here in North America we sure work hard for our money, don't we!

"I give money to charity, what more can I do?"

Giving money is easy. Usually when we give money, we give it when we've taken care of ourselves and we've bought all the little "extras" we want. Then, if there's a bit left over we'll pass it on to a charity and feel like we've done our part. When do we give when it's a sacrifice on our part? Imagine if we gave $2000 and sacrificed our yearly vacation trip? Imagine if we gave $20,000 and sacrificed having a 2nd vehicle? Imagine if we gave $75/month and gave up our cable? Imagine if we gave up $100/month and didn't eat out once at a restaurant? But those are the things we love! We want to do those things! It is much more difficult to give when it means we go without something.

Giving money is a start. But giving money doesn't change a person. Loving, caring and interacting personally with others is what changes us. When Jesus tells us to "Love One Another" and to "Love Your Neighbor", I believe He means for us to love them personally, not with cash.

I am so guilty of all of this. There are days where I am so selfish and want new things for my house or I dream of going down south and getting a break (because my life is so hard, right?!), or I want to eat out because I love food and it's easier than making a big meal at home, I want to buy my kids the latest name brands because surely they'd fit in better, and on and on and on....

None of those selfish wants is God's desire for my life. He has asked us to love Him and love others. He did not ask me to love things. He didn't say it would be the easy way, He said it would be hard. But He said it would be the way full of hope, redemption and joy!

I truly want to stop thinking it's my right to have everything that is available to me - I want to choose others over selfish wants!

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for the least of these brother’s of mine, you did not do for me.’

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

~Matthew 25~