As we walk down the dusty roads of Africa, the cries of little children ring out amidst the hustle and bustle of a typical day in Busia. Looking towards the voices we see flocks of kids frantically calling the others to come and see the muzungus (white people). Then, all excited they start waving and asking “How are you??!” Their greetings stop only after we are out of sight and then start all over again when we pass a couple more kids. Ah, the life of a celebrity!
My typical response to their questioning is “Hi! Good! How are you?”, but good doesn’t really describe the emotions swirling around in my head.
After a week and a half of African living I realize how, dare I say naiive, we are to the rest of the world. We think we know what life is like outside of ours, but do we really? We limit our understanding of the rest of the world to the images we see in books or on t.v. We could see thousands of pictures or watch numerous movies and documentaries, but until we see it with our own eyes, hear it with our own ears, and experience it right in front of us, we cannot grasp the full reality of it all. Until it’s your attention that everyone is trying to grab hoping that you will buy what they’re selling in order to feed their starving families- Until you are the one walking past the crumbling buildings and huts, seeing kids dirty and tattered running around unattended- Until you are the one looking hunger, devastation and heartache in the eyes, you realize that you really had no idea.
So when I’m asked by a swarm of African children “How are you?” all I can say is good but what I’m really thinking is overwhelmed. They have even less idea about us than we do them. They think that all white people are rich and have probably never known hunger, hurt or helplessness.
One man asked us a few days ago “So, is Africa much farther behind America?” How do you respond to that? Yes, Africa is far behind America, Canada, even Europe, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t experience loss and broken families. It doesn’t mean that people aren’t going hungry. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t selfish and don’t make bad choices. It definitely doesn’t mean our lives are perfect and lack nothing. People all over the world are plagued by tragedy and selfishness, they may be manifested in different ways but they are one in the same, separated only by water and land. Such is life.
God knew it wouldn’t be easy for us to live on this earth. He knew we would experience heart wrenching pain and tragedy. He knew that some people would go without while others had way more than what they need. He knew that in giving us free will He risked having us angry at Him for the things we would see and face, but He loved us enough to do what He knew was best for us. God knows what we need and makes choices out of love, not cruelty. It was more worth it to Him that we have free will and risk losing our affection than having puppets that were forced to love Him. Sometimes life sucks, thats a fact that will never change but God does not desert us in our time of need. God is calling us to greater things. In our weakness He is strong, in our pain He is our comfort, in our suffering He is our joy.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10)
When we are vulnerable it gives God the opportunity to show up. When we are hungry, He can show us how He provides for us. If we never experience hardships we would never be able to unveil the enormity of His deep, unfailing love for us.
