WHY??

Why Me?? Why?? Why did you grow up in a western country? Why did you get to go to school, get a family who has all they need, get a bed to sleep on and your own room? Why did you grow up knowing Jesus? Why did you get food everyday for three meals a day? Why did you get parents that are still alive? Why did you get to live in a place of oppurtunity where you have options? Why ME??? Why not the african kid sitting in the slum? Why not the orphan depressed and abandoned? Why not the girl who is 12 and a prostitute? Why not the young man who's worked hard all his life to become someone? Why not the mom of five who was left by the man she thought loved her?Why me??? Whay am I not the hurting mom, or the dirty african child with no clothes or shoes, or the prostitutue who feels alone and worthless? Why am I not the orphan?? Why am I me?

I am sure everyone who has been to another country, traveled, seen poverty and devestation has at some point, in their life, asked these questions. So why, why you?? What makes you so special? Why me, what makes me so special? The truth is... NOTHING. I am not more special or more important then the orphan, prosititute, or the homeless man. I don't know the answer but I do know that he loves me and he loves the orphan. I do know that He has given me these oppurtunities as gifts and He desires me to steward and use them. I do know that God sees me and sees the oprhan and never leaves us. I do know that all the promises of God are for me and for the orphan too. I do know that the orphan is called and God has a plan for them, just as God has a plan for me. So is there a difference between the orphan and me? Or the orphan and you? NO!

So why do we look at a person and only see the tangible things they have? Why do we look at them and only see the lack of? Because we are selfish, prideful people, who only see ourselves. We look at ourselves and see what we have. We immediatly compare with the other person we see and judge them by the trangible. STOP! Stop looking at a person by the things in their life. When it is all stripped away we are all the same. So, I don't know why I grew up the way I did but God has given me these as gifts and resources, and He has given me the responsibility to use and steward them for Him.

I have been in Kenya for awhile now. I had to remain behind because I was to unwell to travel. I have stayed with a family here, who also has been blessed in the physical. I have gone from seeing slums, poverty, living with the poorest of the poor, sleeping on the ground, to here... I have a bed, hot shower, food, entertainment, and an abundance. Then I go out and see again the same poverty that I have become so accustomds to. I see the poverty, then I go back to my bed, hot shower, and plenty of food. To be honest, the first time I went out from the house, I was overwhelmed. I can't help but ask God, why? But this is the difference between the one that knows Him and doesn't. We are given abundance through Jesus. We are given EVERYTHING we need and more, and anyone who comes to Jesus immediately gets that very abundance. ABUNDANCE-- YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE! It has been quite an experience for me to go from poverty to this place of wealth, but that's the exact experience I had when I believed in Jesus, five years ago. ABUNDANCE!

Just as we look at the wealthy and the poor, and the orphan and child who has a family. It is the same as the one who is a Christian and not. And just as we, the "wealthy", have things we waste we, as Chrstians, are waisting and not using the abundance we have been given. We are called to embrace and receive this wealth yet we cast it aside and look down on the very people out our door, believing we are better. We look at them forgetting we were the orphan, the prostiture, and the homeless one. And in forgetting we are simply okay with carrying the lable of lover of Jesus, remaining satisfied with the label, instead of embracing the very welath we've been given. You have been given abundance, the very promises of God, are you embracing them or wasting them?

I bless you to know that you are the same as the orphan, widow, and prostitute. I bless you to stop looking at the tangible and see the person who is sitting across from you. I bless you to know the abundance that your Father is waiting for you to take a hold of. I bless you to let go of the why's and embrace the life God has given you to live.

You are called and so is the murderer. You are called and so is the rich man. You are called and so is the orphan... So get over you and live the life God has called you to live. Know there is no difference between the begger on your street and the one dying of aids. Know that they are God's favorite just as you are. Be so very blessed :)