Everyday I see the poor, I see the hungry, I see the afflicted. It's not just here in Thailand, it's in America too. I have this amazing privilege to work with a ministry that truly seeks justice. God is teaching me so much through all of this. I am learning more and more about prostitution and the not so simple details that surround it.
Walking to work everyday and walking around the city I see the poor, the hungry, the afflicted. The particular people I am referring to right now are those who sit on the sidewalks asking for money.
Sometimes it's a women with her infant child in her arms, other times it's a man with missing limbs or a blind man being led with a string by his mother while singing with a microphone and speaker. I think my mindset might come from my American culture. When I see a homeless person at home, lets say standing to the side of the freeway entrance by Tyler or the exit by Adams, I naturally think 'if I give him money, he will use it for drugs or alcohol and if I offer him food, he won't want it anyways'. To be honest I don't know enough about homeless people to be so critical or have any judgment on the way most people think. But I am bringing that up because I find myself confused.
We read in the bible over and over again about feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, but when do we start doing that? What does that mean for my current context? I do believe strongly that in a way working with NL is doing that, but does that mean it's okay to ignore these physically hurting people all around me? Because, as selfish as I am, I don't want to not do anything. It makes me sick to see a 5 month old baby in the arms of their mother on the street at 11 o’clock at night. And I hate that I am just another pair of shoes and legs that these people see.
7 comments:
Psalm 37:4-8 says this -
4- Delight yourself in the LORD
and
HE will give you the desires of
your heart;
5- Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in HIM and HE will do
this;
6- HE will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like
the noonday sun.
My continuous prayers are with you!
I Love You~Mom
You have such a great heart! I love that you're struggling through things like this, it gives me perspective! But I can't stand just reading...I need to talk to you! When can we have a date?
Carly that was beautifully written....My heart is crushed to hear aboutt the mother and baby on the streets...It reminds me of how much we could be doing here in Riverside..but I'm just too comfortable in my apt. to do anything..I continue to make excuses of how busy I am..thank you Carly
Hi Tatlem.
May God fill your heart with graciousness and compassion, and wisdom to know how to love in all circumstances. I saw a video on mother teresa the other day. to love is to serve in any and every way.
may you bless those around you because you have been blessed by our Father.
Melissa
Pentatuech is still hard. im in with whit so that makes it fun but it is hard
Dear Carly-
I praise our God that you are getting to put to shoe leather what so many of us can't even fathom. what you are seeing is going to be instrumental in gaining a heart like Christ's heart.THe heart that is others centered insteasd of self-the compassion and the care that you will gain and give will be transforming, not only in your own life but in the lives of many.Thank you for your obeidience to His call. I am blessed and inspired. May He be your all in all.
Love in abundance in Christ-
Diane Huntsman
i have absolutely no answer to this but i can only say that i really feel the same when i see people and i can do some stuff but i can never do enough...i don't like that. we're making some progress here though and i love that. hope you find peace about it..or maybe not because that will motivate you to do even more. love.
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