Lucky Ones

We live in America..Land of Plenty. While I am so thankful for all that we have, after spending another week in Guatemala..it's got me wondering.

My experiences make me think that maybe the beautiful people in Patalup, Guatemala are the lucky ones. For the past two years, I have packed up craft foam, blingy stickers, gifts, and many necessesseties to take to them when I go. I shower them with stuff the whole time that I am there. Believe me, they are grateful. While it does meet some basic needs, maybe my attempt to bring them more stuff-to help them live more abundantly like me-is all wrong. Maybe what I really need to live the kind of radical faith Jesus calls me to is to be more like them-have less stuff! Maybe they are really the lucky ones because they aren't tempted to buy the next new tech fad or to purchase that designer pair of shoes. They certainly have less of the world to contend with then we do.. Maybe this is a blessing.

In my family right now we are really struggling with how to live in this world, but not be of this world. We desire to honor God with the way that we spend our time, money, and energy. How do you balance it all? There's a new iphone out right now and people all across America are waiting in line to get it and paying top dollar at that..while our churches are struggling financially to support ministries for the poor/unsaved/hurting in our community. How can we spend money on that when children are starving?? How can we justify having cable when there is so much more to be done? Why do we need twenty plus pairs of shoes in our closet, when most children don't even have one pair in Guatemala? As I ask myself these questions, I know the answer that Jesus wants me to give, but how do I get to the place where I give the same answers He would? I have to admit to you that I struggle at times with loving the world and all that it has to offer.

I am a work in progress for sure and my prayer continues to be that God would break my heart for what breaks His and that I would obeidently live out the kind of radical faith that being a sheep of the Most High demands..