Coke and Oreo’s

I’m thinking about drinking a Coke. Or maybe heading up to the café nearby and buying a cup of coffee… then again making it at home might be cheaper anyway. Maybe I’ll bake some cookies to go along with it, or if I run out of time I can grab some Oreo’s from the pantry to eat…

If you’ve grown up in the Western world, it is likely that you’ve lived a life filled with options– from choosing the clothes you wear to the food you eat, to your TV show selections, you are able to make daily choices based on preference or need.
 
I wish I could say this was the same for everyone. In fact, I quite blindly assumed this was the same for everyone. But sadly I’m very, very wrong. The saying, “ignorance is bliss” has hit me on a whole new level this month. Yet I can’t run away from it any longer.

Today as I was playing with our children outside during the mid-morning school break, I noticed Stefan laying on the ground, resting on top of his torn shirt, probably one of the few he owns. He rested there for quite a while, and I began to wonder if something was wrong… maybe he was sick or something. I asked the teacher if she knew, and after asking him, she replied saying, “He’s hungry. He hasn’t eaten anything today.”

I know people go hungry. I’ve always known starving children exist in the world… but at that moment, it hit me all over again.
I just wanted to cry.

This kid, this beautiful child is lying on the ground, literally in pain from lack of nutrition. Or any food for that matter. I asked the teacher if I could give him a snack, then brought him into the school room and gave him my lunch. He devoured it in minutes, and all I could do was ponder and rub his little, bony back as I watched him eat.

Since that moment, I’ve been asking God lots of questions. Why? Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why Stefan and not me? Why do I get to be the lucky one who’s lived my entire life with countless blessings and provision? Why do these children have no choice but to suffer, living every day in survival mode? What else can I do to help? Why aren’t blessed people stepping up and giving more to the needy?

Ever since the fall of man, we have lived in a world of sin and brokenness. It was man’s choice, and we picked pride over God. And the result- suffering. A fallen world.
I also understand that the story’s not over, and at the present time we who’ve chosen His love can bring His kingdom to earth. God’s love is still available for everyone, His gift extended, ready for anyone to receive. And this brings a hope to the

hopeless.
Broken.
Despaired.
 
If you love Jesus and are reading this, take some time to pray hard.
Pray for Stefan, our Care Point kids, and everyone on this planet that is in desperate need.
Thank God for His faithfulness, love and provision.
You might be reading this and are already shrugging it off, just like I tend to do… if so, ask Him to give you a heart for the broken and needy. Consider ways you can step up.
There are numerous organizations similar to Hope Chest that are daily displaying the Father’s heart through providing for the needy and less fortunate across the globe.

Whether it’s financially, personally, or through prayer, we ALL have a position to give something.
 
And the next time you open up your fridge or decide what outfit you’d like to wear, take a second to
thank God. Thank Him for your blessings. Every single one of them, from little to big. Praise Him for His provision, and remember kids like Stefan, who really do exist all around the world. Rejoice that there truly is a hope for them, a joy they can depend on through trials. A faith that will sustain them always.

You CAN make a difference.
All it takes is one person at a time,
one display of love
to make HIS everlasting HOPE
a reality for the broken.