I must admit, I have kind of been struggling since we have been in Zambia. I have been trying to be positive but I have just felt disconnected. I have been so consumed by the negative that I trapped myself in the dark. Hanging out with the children has been the highlight of my time here but every time I see them my heart breaks. It is rare to see a kid who isn’t covered in dirt. You see boys wearing little girl’s clothes and little girls wearing boys clothing. You see babies without diapers but cloths soaked in urine. Everywhere you look there are children walking around without shoes or in one shoe or shoes three sizes too small when I don’t even know how many pairs of shoes I own. You see children picking scraps out of the trash to eat when we throw away plates full of food on a regular basis. You see little girls walking around with babies strapped to their backs growing up way too fast. You see more young men and women who dropped out of school than had the opportunity to finish. You see women bearing so much weight on their shoulders and sadness in their eyes. You see families living in huts the size of an average bathroom in America. 90 percent of their population are HIV positive and are not sure when their last breath of air will be. All of these things have blinded me from seeing what is really in front of me. Tonight God opened my eyes and let me see the light.
He showed me that these people do not need to be pitied they need to be praised. I have been focusing so much on their rough circumstances that I didn’t notice all their riches. Looking at these children from an American point of view it is easy to say they are sad but that is far from true. These wonderful children are full of joy. They are appreciative for what they have. They are resourceful and can make a soccer ball out of trash. They do not care about materialistic things. They know the value of family. They help their neighbors not because they are told to but because they want to. The people are strong and courageous and compassionate. They have more knowledge about God and more faith than most people I know. These people focus on what really matters in life. They have such a close knit family and community it is inspiring! They don’t have much but they welcome you with open arms and share whatever they have to offer. They trust the Lord and know him as their provider and are thankful for what he has provided them with. They go to church without comfy chairs, sound systems, air conditioning, projectors, nor instruments, they go to a church that doesn’t have a roof but they go because they LOVE the Lord! They TRUST the Lord. They DEPEND on the Lord. They NEED the Lord. They praise and worship and the place is flooded with his presence. These people are so spiritually rich and therefore they have the best treasure there is.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19
