Injustice is not fair. It never will be, yet it will always exist. I think the Lord blesses us so that we can be at least part of the answer to injustices around the world. I have been away from one of the most blessed nations in the world for 11 months now and I never want to take it for granted, yet again I probably will. A car, a hot shower, nice clothes, shoes, food that is sanitary, money in my pocket for snacks, just to name a few. We don’t have to feel guilty about being blessed to have these things, but we need to be aware that we are some of the few who have these LUXURIES in this world.
As we were leaving Kampala, Uganda to come to Kenya I had one of those moments that you don’t soon forget. It wasn’t a scheduled time of ministry; I mean I was on a bus, on a travel day. But the Lord reminded me those are the moments that can count for so much. The moments that aren’t planned, the ones the Lord just lines you up with so perfectly, that you know they are meant to be.
We were driving out of the city limits and I was resting my head on my pillow, just looking out the window. I was taking in Africa and all it’s differences from home. We were in traffic at one point and we got stopped. As I looked out the window a piece of my heart broke. I looked into the eyes of a boy, maybe five years old, just sitting on the sidewalk. The look in his eyes shook my core, all I saw was fear, and pain. He was more then likely sent out to beg, because his palm was face up. IT’S JUST NOT FAIR. Time seemed to stop, and I thought at any moment the bus would start moving again, but it didn’t. I quickly rummaged through my bag to get a picture, I didn’t want to forget his face, or the pain I saw. Then I looked down at my bag of snacks and thought REALLY LORD; you want me to throw my snacks out of the bus window. I wrestled with myself for a few split seconds, I thought it seemed a bit extreme, but I quickly did up the box of cookies and tossed it out of the bus window. The second the box hit the ground I saw the boy move towards it and grab it, and then the bus rolled away instantly. I had almost missed my opportunity. I had almost missed out on my chance to choose obedience. I mean they were only cookies, but to the boy, I’m sure they were so much more.
What opportunities do we miss out on everyday because we don’t want to look silly, or we are too busy worrying about ourselves. This was so much more then the small act of giving my cookies away. This was about listening to the Lord when He speaks, that is what can make a moment count. How can we use the blessings we have received to be a blessing to those around us? You don’t have to look hard to see they are everywhere. Don’t miss out on the unexpected moments that may have eternal impact.
