Friday, July 23, 2010

Reality



Today, I had a little dose of reality.  
As I sat outside of a small, blue house at the back end of Guachupita, I tried to internalize all that surrounded me.  As crazy as it may sound, the more times I return to this place, the more I dull myself to the poverty that exists here.  I forget that living in a house of tin walls in not normal.  I forget that life without electricity or living water is not normal.   I forget that children running around half naked in the dirtiest area of the country is not normal.
As I sat there and took in the brokenness around me, all I could think was "this is reality."  There are days when I long so desperately for the comforts of home, days when I want to break free from this oppression and the desperation that is all around, days that all I want is to be back home, back in the realm of reality... and then I realize, for them, this is home.  This is their place of solitude, their place of comfort... for them, this is reality.
We all know poverty exists, right?  But do we ever actually understand what it means to live within that poverty?  Do we understand that many of the children that grow up in these cultures don't know that what they have isn't enough?  Are we able to comprehend the fact that this is not just temporary, that day in and day out for these people this is LIFE?
My heart was broken once again today for the people here, mostly because I realize that in just 7 days from now I will pack up my stuff and move on, traveling around the world and eventually returning to my reality, back to my home... and the people here, they may never have the opportunity to move on, they may never be able to escape this reality.  

4 comments:

  1. I cannot understand why God places us where he does, some in lives of luxury and some in lives of poverty but it is obvious that he desires those with to help those without.... "when you do it for one of the least of these, my children, you do it unto me". When you return from this journey God has called you to, you will never be the same! Am so proud of you all!!

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  2. Micah! I absolutely can relate on this, I remember the times of wondering why the poverty exists, becoming completely numb to the reality of what was going on around me, I remember standing in the midst of a slum in India and simply wondering why I found it sorta normal and not be phased by the insanity of the poverty surrounding me. Then reading this blog reminds me of how quickly I've become numb to it yet again, thinking of just how 'normal' my life in the US has become. How easily I've stopped thinking of those sleeping without shelter tonight. Returning to a heart of prayer...thanks for the blog!

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  3. Hey Micah! This is hard to read because even now I'm enjoying the comforts of home. I know that we, in the western world, are spoiled by the luxuries of life. But, to those people, seeing them even smile seems like some kind of miracle to us. How can they laugh and smile and find happiness? They do it because they don't know, in comparison, how little they have. Simple things bring them great joy. I will pray.

    I remember one guy I met in India asking to pray with me. I prayed for him, and then he asked God to help the people in America because all that we have blinds us to what we really need. Jesus.

    I'm so proud of you! Keep your faith and keep spreading the Good News everywhere you get even the tiniest window. One day, in heaven, we will look back at where we were and truly see with kingdom eyes the poverty and squalor we live in (even in the U.S.) Heaven awaits. God Bless you my friend!!!

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  4. Sister! True words. In my mind, I know that there is poverty all around this world, but truthfully and selfishly I put it out of my head because it doesn't affect me. That is their reality, and for the vast majority of them, it's their forever reality. But the bottom line is this, whether one is struggling to find their next meal or whether one owns ten vehicles and a 10,000 square foot house, we all need Jesus. That's your mission and calling and I'm so proud of you! Keep on going-you probably won't know until you get to Heaven what fruits your journey has borne. Your job is to plant the seed, God will help it grow! Love you.

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