I found this excerpt from Jeremy & Lynne Paulus' blog today. I think it speaks for itself:
"Yesterday we read an article in the local paper of a group of people who went out in a dugout canoe from one of the islands here for what was to be a 3 hour trip. The weather turned bad, they lost sight of land and with nothing to navigate with they were stranded and adrift for 29 days. Thankfully they were saved by a passing Chinese ship that was able to rescue them. They survived on rainwater (thankfully it rained), raw fish and raw rice."
As many of you know, John and I have a mission which supports widows and children in Cambodia. It's been amazing this week thinking about those people who are thrilled when they catch frogs to eat with their daily portion of rice. On a really good day, they might have some vegetables and getting meat is like a holiday. Each time my stomach has growled this week, I think how blessed I am that I have the choice to just go to my fridge or cupboard and squelch that pain with hardly a thought. I felt guilty when I added butter to my portion of rice to make it more appealing because I realized that's not even an option for them. And this is their day-in and day-out existence; this is how they survive.
ReplyDeleteSelfishly, we moved my son's birthday party to this Sunday so we could partake in a scrumscious Larson's cake. And every time I see a commercial or a scene on TV with food, there's a moment when I feel sorry for myself. But then God says, "remember how I've blessed you." I sometimes wonder why I was chosen to live this life of such abundance and those in other poverty stricken countries like Cambodia live on a completely different spectrum. But what I'm learning this week is that "the why" isn't what's important here, it's what am I going to do about it. For whatever reason, God continues to bless me and my family in so many ways. What I need to continue to do is take action to share those blessings with others in the ways He instructs and be an advocate for those who lack the resources to meet their own needs. Lord, help me to be obedient.