Welcome to my first blog of 2009! It is a New Year’s resolution of mine to blog more in 2009 then I did in 2008. So, here is my first attempt. Recently, I finished reading Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds by Tom Davis as part of my preparation. The book’s focus is on the AIDS/HIV pandemic across the globe, the church’s current response, and how we can help. There were many things that really affected me as I was reading and I wanted to reflect on a few of them. I’m still figuring some things out and processing what I read so please forgive me if this is a little disjointed.
The past 6 months have been an exciting but also frustrating time for me. As more details for my trip were set and more people joined the team, I could feel my excitement increase. But, at the same time, as more days would go by without donations, as more emails would go unanswered regarding fundraisers, I began to have a little doubt. I felt at times that maybe I was wrong about God guiding me to the World Race. Maybe I let my own desires to travel and to go somewhere, overshadow what God wanted for me. It was in this mindset I began reading Red Letters. After reading this book I knew, I know, that I am going on the World Race and it is where God wants me.
The past 6 months have been an exciting but also frustrating time for me. As more details for my trip were set and more people joined the team, I could feel my excitement increase. But, at the same time, as more days would go by without donations, as more emails would go unanswered regarding fundraisers, I began to have a little doubt. I felt at times that maybe I was wrong about God guiding me to the World Race. Maybe I let my own desires to travel and to go somewhere, overshadow what God wanted for me. It was in this mindset I began reading Red Letters. After reading this book I knew, I know, that I am going on the World Race and it is where God wants me.
I wanted to share a quote that spoke to me while reading: “What matters most is having a heart that goes out to those in need and then acting on that need,” (p.90). After I read that sentence I realized that my heart does go out to those in need, but I hardly ever act on those feelings. I feel bad for those who suffer but I never really spend much time thinking about how I could help. I didn’t ever really pray for them, send money, volunteer anywhere, or ever take the steps needed to go somewhere and serve. And even though I am going on the World Race I never thought of it as acting on the needs of others. Part of the reason I was attracted to the World Race for me to experience the world and other cultures, not just because I wanted to help those in need. Realizing this was very convicting and confirming for me. I was convicted in my lack of response up until this point in my life but I was also 100% confirmed that I am supposed to go on the World Race. After reading this book my compassion and my passion for the work I will be doing and the places I will be going has increased more then I can really explain.
Along those same lines is the subtitle of the book: Living a Faith That Bleeds. What exactly does that mean? “So what is this faith that bleeds? Yes, it’s a faith that requires sacrifice. But more than that, it’s a faith that brings life.” (p.152). I thought this was a great way of describing what our faith as Christians should be. Our faith should uplift, bring hope and life to those who are in need. It should be feelings and action. I have not just been given the opportunity to serve others across the world, but also to serve God. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to go on the World Race but its also what I should do as a Christian- serve those in need. Its time for me to act. It’s not enough to feel bad for those who are in need and are suffering; as Christians we should be out there doing something, whether that’s committing to pray 5 minutes a day or packing up and going somewhere.
One more thing I wanted to share is a few of the numerous facts/statistics Davis provides throughout the book. I wish I could share them all with you but here are just a few that stuck out to me:
– 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar per day; 3 billion less then two- over 50% of the world’s population live in poverty.
– Over 2 million children die each year from malaria.
– Over 2 million children die each year from malaria.
– Africa contains about 10% of the world’s population, and 60% of all those livingwith HIV, almost 25 million people.
These facts alone are worth reading the book. The stories he shares and the numerous other statistics are devastating. I don’t know why I never bothered to learn these things before. It really hit hard me how uneducated I am in that area, and how probably a lot of Christians are. And that’s sad. I also realized that I will be serving, working with, loving, people who are part of some or all of the above statistics. They will no longer just be facts to me, I will have names, faces, and stories. It was (and is) a little overwhelming to think about. But, I am glad that I am thinking about it now, and that God is preparing me.
What’s the most interesting about my Red Letters experience is that I picked it up initially because it seemed like a short, easy read, and wanted one more item on my “Books I Read in 2008” list. Yes, I do keep a list. But, this book was much more then just another read. It was a call to action and God has definitely used it to speak me It has shown me glimpses of what I can expect, and has encouraged me to think about what my year on the World Race will be like. All in all a good start to the New Year. Thanks for reading.
What’s the most interesting about my Red Letters experience is that I picked it up initially because it seemed like a short, easy read, and wanted one more item on my “Books I Read in 2008” list. Yes, I do keep a list. But, this book was much more then just another read. It was a call to action and God has definitely used it to speak me It has shown me glimpses of what I can expect, and has encouraged me to think about what my year on the World Race will be like. All in all a good start to the New Year. Thanks for reading.
