WHY? TUE - Jan 11

One cannot experience a day like today without having the question “WHY?” go through your mind at at least some point? Why them and not us? Why are we blessed with so much and they suffer so greatly? Why don’t we as a country, church, people do more to help?

Tonight we gathered as a group and pondered some of those questions together. One thought was…. Maybe it’s really not about their poverty at all. Maybe it is more about OUR hearts… OUR abundance… and this is God’s way of (for lack of better word) testing us.

Just think how time on earth is really just a twinkling of an eye compared to the eternity we get to spend in heaven with the Lord. There are a number of different places throughout the bible where it talks about “those who are last who will be first, and the first who will be last.”(Luke 13:30) Maybe these people… “The least of these” Matthew 25 are actually so much richer than us… rich in faith and rich for these are the people that may just be a little quicker, a little closer or just "the first" that is spoken of.

Mike always talks about delayed gratification… Working hard now for something better later. Some, in the US, think of retirement as their delayed gratification. But really, the biggest retirement party I can ever imagine is the one we get to celebrate in heaven.

I am totally just babbling a whole mix of thoughts that are going on in my head and heart right now but that is kind of how I am feeling at the moment… I think it may take some time to really process all that is going on.

It was brought up over Christmas in a discussion with my brother, about just how far one can go with the giving and sacrifice. Are we all to live on a shack on the side of the road and give everything we have? I don’t know the answer to this. Maybe we are not supposed to know. I think God works in everyone’s heart and lives differently and at different times…. but I do believe we all should wrestle with this question though. I do know this.. “Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for ME will find it.” (Matt. 16:24&25)

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
 As much as is given as much we are responsible for (Luke 12:48).” OH boy does everyone in the U.S. have a lot of responsibility. At one of the stops today I met a little bit older boy, probably a teenager of some sort. He was different then the rest.. he spoke incredible English that he said he taught himself and he said he could read and write also. He was dressed nicer than those around him and he said he has worked from time to time helping at the Cholera treatment center. I told him that God has blessed him greatly with such a gift and that with that gift I pray that he continues to use it to help others and for God’s glory. Oh and he agreed and said he thanks God very much for giving him the abilities he has. My words stung as soon as they came out of my mouth though. How many gifts has He blessed me with? Am I using them all for His glory? Who was I to be saying that to this young man?

Amy Lindahl

Healing Haiti Team Member

January 2010