April 13, 2009

Christians, we are failing!!!

I am struggling with a subject to blog on...

Not because I don't have ideas or experiences or verses or stories...

or even time.

I have a million thoughts running through my head, many I cannot even begin to put in words...

It's 8:30 p.m. here, the sun has set, the kids are safe and snug in their beds, I'm sitting in a comfy chair, in a warm and comfortable house. About an hour ago, we all had a bedtime snack, took showers, and the boys crawled onto their freshly laundered sheets and under warm blankets.

You would not believe it!!! We had three full meals today and snacks to munch on here and there. I was EVEN able to brush my teeth with pretty decent tap water, and wash my face with a clean washcloth. Can you believe I even was able to put on clean clothes today? It was so nice to lie around and snuggle with my kids while watching a movie this afternoon. I am so blessed to be able to do that. After doing ALL that, I was able to pick up the phone and call my friends and chat in the comfort of my own living room. WOW! It was quite a day...

I WAS EVEN ABLE TO GET ON MY COMPUTER and waste meaningful time...just because!!!

It was incredible!!!

AH....THE COMFORTS OF HOME!

Then I stopped by my friend's blog, Sailor & Co.'s, and suddenly, my heart ached...

My emotions stirred as I stared at the images on my computer screen...

Tears fell from my eyes...

My heart ached some more...

This was my city...

How did I not know?

How did I not see?

Was I so preoccupied with my own discomfort when I saw (ignored) people holding signs saying, "PLEASE HELP. LOST JOB. ANYTHING WILL HELP!"

Denial maybe?

Helplessness maybe? Not sure what to do?

Selfish??? Not willing to take the time to look past the outward appearance into the heart of the person standing there. Handing them $5.00, to ease my own guilt, and so that I could sleep with a good conscience for doing my "good deed" for the day.

I called my friend, and by the time we hung up, I still had no clue what to do...except pray.

Hand-up vs. hand-out...

Most didn't choose to live this way, and don't want our "stuff" or our money. They want to be able to have a home and a job and security and safety...

How do people get OUT of these situations? How do WE help the people around us when we cannot "see"? When we cannot "hear"? When we do not know how to get over our own denial because it would be painful to admit that we may have failed as a society? That just maybe, we, as Christians, really ARE NOT doing our jobs?

I encourage you to check out Casting Crowns song, "If We are the Body", if you haven't already...

...sober thoughts and hard to swallow...God, what do we do???

If you haven't already, PLEASE go check out today's post at Sailor & Co.'s blog! This isn't just happening in my city...

It's ALSO HAPPENING IN YOURS!!!

4 comments:

The Rigelsky Family said...

Wow Hev....thanks for sharing your thoughts on it....we just have to try to keep those images in our minds so that we don't forget...

morrow said...

Thanks for this post. It's so true. Where we will live the economy is not so bad so it is easy to forget. I overhead a conversation in a elevator in a crowded mall

and the people were talking about how were they lived all the malls were completely closed. All the stores the mall. Mall Strips with lots of empty stores and empty parking lots that you just drive by.

It made me feel strange to be in the mall we were at that was crowded with a full parking lot.

It was a reminder that we are isolated a little here and that is very different for others.

So many are struggling and we do have to help.

My brother told me that people are starting to trade services instead except money, that seemed like a nice way to start

and of course we all need to help too without expecting anything in return.

Kelly said...

The Bible says we will always have the poor with us, so to think we won't is crazy. We need to do everything we can help the poor, while at the same realize they will always be there.

B His Girl said...

I understand where you are. I have been thinking about doing a post on what you are describing. You do have to walk through the doors. The Lord will open them and help you but you have to walk....by faith. If you don't you will miss God's best for you. It is worth the struggle. Make a plan to do what you know you need to do. He would not open the door if you could not do it. Claim the land He has given you! B

Who am I Lord?

1 Chronicles 17:16 Then  King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you...