Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the "Step Into Africa" exibit I referenced a few posts back. Before volunteering you get the opportunity to go through the exibit. There are four different stories to experience when you go through, you go through one at a time, multiple people were going through and going right back in to experience another child's story. The lives of these children is just heartbreaking. I'm so sad that I was not able to go to Africa last year, what an amazing trip that would have been (but I know that I made the right choice for both myself and my baby at that time). Today Matt and I went to go through one of the "Older" stories, one that the younger kids shouldn't go through, equally as heartbreaking. Tonight Matt took two of the older kids to go through again, and tomorow I will volunteer again and go through one more story. It is all heartbreaking, especially when I arrive home to my safe and warm house with plenty of food in the cupboards, an overabundance of clothing in the closets, t.v.'s in the rooms, shoes in the garage, blankets on the beds, hot, clean water, realizing the "plenty" that I have. One thing that keeps repeating in my head and something I want to challenge you with is this...
Because I can't (won't) sacrifice ________________ a child will suffer.
You fill in the blank for yourself. I know that I could and will fill in that blank with many different things. One thing I was convicted of was name brand diapers, silly I know, but I also know I could save a lot of money if I bought off brand, and Lila is no longer an infant so it doesn't matter as much anymore. For you it could be Starbucks, chocolate, pop, movies, a new, unnecessary pair of shoes... what could you give up so that a child doesn't have to suffer anymore? What part of your comfortable life could you and I go without? And let's be honest, if we go without a few things, we will still be pretty darn comfortable, our "suffering" (if we even dare call it that) because of a little sacrifice will be nothing like the suffering of these children from Africa who have no parents b/c they both died of AIDS, who are raped daily, who have no food, or the child right here in America that has no food or shelter, or the child in Haiti that no longer has a place to sleep?
Just think about it, and think about what you could sacrifice to end the suffering of just one child.
1 comment:
We have not gone thru the exhibit, but might try to tomorrow night yet, but I hear that it is amazing! The book Hole in the Gospel is so convicting and I have really been challenged lately to change my way of thinking about things! Your posts are one of the ways! Thanks!
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