We as Americans think that we have
it made. We have all the conveniences of modern technology, can get
anywhere in a quick minute, and think that if you don’t live this
lifestyle you are crazy. We get mad when one of our conveniences
breaks or when our car won’t start, irritated when the hot water in
the shower runs out or our cell phone signal is bad or our internet
is running too slow. And yet we still think that EVERYONE wants to
live in the luxury that we live in.
It is funny the different
perspectives you gain when you leave all of the “conveniences”
behind for a short period of time. I haven’t had a phone for almost
2 months now and I haven’t even thought about sending a text. I have
taken military showers in cold water every couple of days. I am
excited when the internet will at least connect. Rarely do you take
a vehicle somewhere when you can walk there with in a half an hour.
When the electricity goes out I am not surprised but am so excited
when it comes on for a short period of time.
How crazy is it that before I
left for this trip I felt like I had to have my phone with me at all
times or else I would miss out on something. Never would I have
imagined letting water run over me, turn off the water, soap up,
rinse off, turn off the water and be done with my shower every couple
of days. How crazy is it that before this trip I expected my
internet to work at all times. How I would drive to church which was
literally a 5 to 7 minute walk from my house.
And yet we think that everyone
wants these conveniences that we Americans have. Reality check.
People feel BAD for US. I always thought it was the other way
around. I felt bad for the poor people, the ones who didn’t know
what it was like to have things at the tips of your finger tips to
make your life easier. Wrong. People feel bad for US. Why?
Because we have such a harder time knowing God. The people that I
have met here put their trust in God everyday, they rely on God to
provide on their next meal, they rely on God for shelter and trust
that He will keep them safe.
Tell me this? When was the last
time that we got together with our friends to do a Bible study for
fun verses going to the movies? The people here are somewhat afraid
of going to the United States. My first thought was, why? They have
no idea what they are missing. The people’s response to that thought
is, “No, Americans have no idea what they are missing.”
Let that sink in for a minute. .
. . American’s have no idea what they are missing . . . We are so
distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life and conveniences
that we are never having to solely rely on God. We aren’t passionate
about God. We only turn to God when things are bad instead of on a
daily basis and praise Him for the good and the bad. I think that I
too would be scared to come to American and get distracted by the
“beautiful” things we have and lose the most precious and
beautiful thing that I could EVER have, God.
Will you be surprised when one day
one of the poorest countries in the world sends missionaries to
American to show us who really IS poor?
. . . . . . . . . . . . Who is REALLY missing out? . . . . . . . . . . .
LOVE!
