Clean running water has become my new favorite thing coming off the race. I love that I can go anywhere and fill up a water bottle from any sink. I have even done it in the bathroom just because I can. I will never buy bottled water again. What a waste of money!
Some things have been difficult coming off the race to see. For example, on my flight a large stack of plastic cups fell off the drink cart and the flight attendant threw them all away. Ok the floor may be a little dirty, but goodness it is wasteful. People would drink out of them and rewash them until they cracked in the countries I have been. And leftover boxes are strange in Germany so food gets wasted if you don't eat it.
Traveling the world has really opened my eyes to what is really occurring on this place we call earth. I have seen God move in miraculous ways, but it has really been hitting me that this is a world whose ruler is satan. There is no country where things are great. Brokenness occurs in all sorts of ways in every city and village worldwide.
I have seen neglect of both babies and seniors in Guatemala; poverty and drug abuse in Honduras; fatherless and motherless in Nicaragua; fear of losing face in Thailand that keeps the country as it is; children unable to come home at night until they sold all their roses to those going to the bars in Cambodia; lack of freedom in Vietnam to express yourself; suicidal thoughts and cutting in Malaysia; widows in Kenya; children unable to pay for school in Uganda; family conflicts in Tanzania; homelessness in Malawi; women touching themselves in red lit rooms waiting to be purchased for pocket change in Germany…the list could go on. You do not need to travel to see all these things. Walk out your door, stop thinking about yourself, and you will see the hurt and need at your doorstep.
Ok this blog seems pretty negative, I am simply processing through these things right now. God is such a loving God so how could this happen? It is called freedom! God gave us freedom from the very beginning to choose him because true love is not forcing someone to love you. You get a choice to love God or not. Eve used her freedom and ate that dang piece of fruit (I hope it at least tasted good) and now we all use our freedom and independence in different ways. So yes this world is broken, but how are you using your freedom?
Let's make this life count!
