Our Debt-Their Drought

I bet you all can at least give me a small snippit of the "crisis" in America. We're in over our heads. We're up to our eyeballs in debt. We're practically bankrupt. Some of us were glued to the t.v. where we could get up-to-the-minute details on how the process was going and how this was going to affect our retirement, our home values, our jobs. I'm guessing some of y'all watched as President Obama presented their decision. Let me restate that. I bet some of y'all sat on your comfy sofas, in your overpriced homes, with your paid off cars, sipping wine from Napa while you watched this announcement.

Don't get me wrong, I, too, live in an overpriced home. I, too, have cars (and one is even paid off!). I, too, drink wine (although, I'm not too keen on American wine-no offense). But there's a bigger problem than our nation's debt! A problem that makes me think, "I seriously could care less about the 'Almighty Dollar.'" It's a problem that, in order to buy into a solution, you have to think that PEOPLE are more important than THE BUCK. But, we Americans have BOUGHT THE LIE!

Hear me on this one, I am all for providing for your families. I am for being realistic in making sure you have your "nest egg" prepared. But, REALLY, I have never read the word "retirement" in the Bible. And, to boot, Matthew 6: 28-32 says:

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."

I've been sort of wrestling with this, since I've been a DAVE RAMSEY fan in the past. But, hoarding six whole months of living expenses? Is that living and trusting in God for all the things in the verses mentioned above?! Even our churches are stockpiling money. Take a look at your church's bulletin next week and tell me that they couldn't buy a small house (or supply at least three African villages with clean water and sanitation) with cash. I say this not to slam our churches, but to question whether we (the Church) are handling money (all the way around) how Jesus would handle money! Remember when He sent his disciples out two by two and told them specifically to take no money at all (Matt 10: 5-10)?!! We are getting all these messages from good sources telling us (and showing us) that hoarding money and supplies is a good thing! WHY, then, would we trust God to provide?!

Friends, there is a REAL, and very MAJOR crisis going on in our world. I'm guessing that, since it's not staring us in the face, and because our news networks are to busy giving us up-to-the-minute "debt talks" reporting, that you may not even know it's happening. Just as we live in the "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave," there are people living in what SAMARITAN'S PURSE calls "The triangle of death." The Triangle of Death, as they say, is The Horn of Africa. My children live there. It has been reported that the worst drought The Horn has seen in 60 years is occurring as we speak. We can no longer sit here in the land of plenty while our brothers and sisters are literally wasting away. We cannot pretend this is not happening any more! TRUST ME! I totally try to pretend Africa does not exist! It makes it easier to go about my daily, middle class life! Pretending this is not happening helps me to feel better about throwing those uneaten cheerios that Darby crushed up on her breakfast tray out. It helps me feel better about drinking my second cup of tea this morning, you know, because I need the caffeine. Jesus called us (ME!) to MORE than apathy!

Matthew 25:35-40 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, quoted the New Irreverent Translation of the Bible in THIS article: "For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water."

OUCH.

Consider this your CALL TO ACTION! Whereas, most of us cannot hop on the next plane to Africa to help, we CAN do something! Samaritan's Purse, which I told you about earlier, is a fantastic organization to give to! I would suggest that you give to Samaritan's Purse to help with the Crisis In Africa. But, also consider long-term support! Another organization that I have learned about is water.org. According to WATER.ORG, "The cost of building a well or establishing a household water connection varies greatly depending on the country, location, terrain, and available resources. For example, it can range from $7,000 in Ghana to $30,000 in Kenya." You can give $25 a month to water.org, which will supply clean drinking water and sanitation to one person for LIFE!

Brothers and Sisters,
It's time to stop pretending!
It's time to START walking in faith...
...time to open our eyes to the ugly things in the world!
These are the people Jesus loves!
They should be the people WE love!
Let's get to work!
My children's very lives depend on it!!!

And, let me know when you find that verse on retirement, will ya?