We got there… and to me, it felt like a show. "Here are the people that live at the dump. Give them some food, take pictures of them, then we'll leave." PLEASE don't get me wrong. I think it's awesome to take food to those who don't have any. That's totally not what I'm saying. But it didn't feel like ministry to me. It felt like pity, and I don't think Jesus pitied people, I think He had compassion on people. We went, and every home we went to, we stood staring at them, handed them a bag of food, then were told we could go ahead and take pictures. They let us in these people's houses just to take pictures. Again, I understand what he was getting at. It's good to see what these people live in, and maybe even to document it. But we didn't hear these people's names. Not their stories. Not how they were doing. We were told "give a bag to this woman." Woman? I can see she is a woman. Does this woman have a name? Maybe I'm sounding way too harsh right now, maybe I should just be happy that we got them food (and I am). But it still didn't sit well with me.
At the first home I did something that really got me. We handed a man a bag of food, then were told we could go inside his home and take pictures. So… being the picture taker I am… I walked right in.
I walked right past the man.
Stood about a foot in front of him and took a picture of his broken down, smelly, dirty, tiny home.
Then smiled and nodded at him and walked out.
Not only does it have to be humiliating to have a bunch of people gather around and take pictures of his "house," where his family lives, but we barely even acknowledge him?
WHAT?!?!
Is that what I'm here for? Is that why we went? To give some food and take some pictures? I saw several people do the same. I am not condemning them. I noticed it first in myself. But it really made me reevaluate things. Jesus saw the multitude and had compassion on them. He didn't pity them. He saw them as real people, with real lives, real hurts, real needs, and he saw that they had real value. How do we see hurting people? Do we just give a couple bucks and smile and pat ourselves on the back because we "helped the needy"? Or do we view their lives as just as valuable as our own? Because they ARE just as valuable as our own.
God should be able to tell me to pack my bags and move to that dump, and I should be just as willing to live there as I would my home back in the states. I am not living for comfort, I wasn't called to live a pretty little normal life. I wasn't told to pity people, I was told to love. I had to ask myself while we were there… I wonder if they would have guessed that we were Christians? Or if they just assumed we were people who decided to take 30 minutes out of our day to bring them some food. The Bible says that they will know we are believers by our love, and also that we can do whatever the heck "good" stuff we want, but if there isn't love behind it, it's NOTHING. Nothing. I don't want to be that person. I don't want to get my good deed for the day done, and go home. I want to go home drained because of the love I have poured into people. I want to sit with these people, laugh with them, love them so much that I go home hurting, just WAITING for the next time I can go back. I want to be friends with these people. Show them they are worth it, they are valuable, they are LOVED. So that's what I'm going to challenge myself with. To make sure that people know I'm there not to make myself look or feel good, not to get in my deeds for the day… but to love them, and honor them, and cherish them. I am challenging you to do the same.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
Due to some monthly donors falling through, I am now in need of $2,017. Click here to make a donation with a credit or debit card.
If you would like to support with a check, make the check payable to Adventures In Missions, with Natalie Reeves in the memo line, and send to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
My financial deadline is January 1st but I am leaving Romania and heading to South Africa December 12th. Once I get to Africa I'm not sure what the communication will be like so I'm praying to be fully funded by the 12th when I leave here. Please consider donating.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
