Yesterday I admittedly was guilty of being judgmental, and with my life being an open book I should not be afraid to admit that. For this I immediately want to apologize to my readers for.
I am preparing supplies for our upcoming 30 Hour Famine, which connect teens to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and World Vision in an event where they'll volunteer their time and go 30 hours with no food in an effort to raise awareness for those suffering from malnutrition. It's also way more than just catching a glimpse of how it feels to starve; during the event the participants learn about how hunger effects education, business, society, economics, opens the door for diseases, and so much more. When it comes to an event like this, I want it to be no cost as evidence money is not a necessity when we come together to help each other out. We play a game called Tribe, similar to Survivor, and also offer opportunities for the participants to show compassion in their local communities; such as volunteering at a homeless shelter, serve food at soup kitchens, and lend a hand with yard work or spending time with kids at children's homes and orphanages.
One month prior to the event, I put out a list of needed supplies in hopes they are donated by people in the church. This year, I wasn't seeing much of anything from the list being given, and as I walked in to our youth center yesterday morning, seeing no change, immediately became heated and ranting about why the church has gotten to the point of not giving. By this time all that had been given were a few empty gallon jugs that someone dug out of the trash for me at the end of our church's vacation bible school and a folding table.
I had to leave to catch my breath. I was literally at the point of giving up hope. Such a sad place to be in life; loosing hope for mankind.
I prayed. I asked God to clear my mind and work with what He provided. Once I regained my composer an returned to the church, I noticed a couple of shopping bags on the floor that I overlooked before, (This is when I use a line from a popular Christmas story because of the surprise and joy the discovery made me feel) when what, through my wandering eyes, did appear? Two shopping bags from the dollar store, filled with flashlights, ladles, batteries, water bottles, pens, Sharpies, and more! Donated specifically for Famine use!
It by no means completes the list of needed supplies, but did put a major dent in the start of what we needed for each game of Tribe, which will place the participants in the shoes of those who suffer just to find water halfway clean enough to drink, or have to coss flooded river-beds for safety after their families have been separated by disaster.
I had to stop and ask for forgiveness for my pre-concluded notion that no one really cared. It was still less than what I had hoped for, but far greater are the tools God provides through his people than any I could pull together on my own! Now, when three churches come together to find out what it's like to go a while feeling hungry, they'll see examples of how we can give through means, other than money, to show love to our neighbors. I learned even more about contentment and blind faith through this and continue growing in my relationship with our Creator and Giver of Life! All of this is a gift from Him. How will we invest what He entrusts to our care? Will we look at it and say, "This is not enough!", or be thankful by sharing His Love with others and supporting each other in this daily battle to survive in a chaotic world? Will we spread judgement and dwell on how we feel other people should be living, or pray for our neighbors as part of the Body of Christ and trust God in the molding and shaping of the heart? Do we try to take it upon ourselves to accomplish great things, or let go of our personal desires by placing them fully in the hands of God?
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