The Trouble With Affluence

"He raises the poor from the dust
       and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
 ⁸ he seats them with princes,
       with the princes of their people."  Psalm 113:7-8

I have had orphans and poverty on my mind lately.  I'm sure that God has it in my mind for a reason, but I just can't stop thinking about worldwide poverty, and thinking about how I don't really know what it's like to live like that.   And I don't think it would be possible to know.  I mean, there is always a "next meal" for my family.  We always have food, or raw ingredients that I could prepare to at least make a loaf of bread or scrambled eggs.  And even if we didn't have anything- we have a multitude of family, friends, and neighbors who we could call on for help in a time of need. 

But what about all those people out there who don't have that support system?  And what about those people in foreign countries who truly do have nothing.  I was just reading a blog post...wait, here, I'll share it, because it's something that I just can't fathom in this country.

An Eye-Opening Trip.

Can you imagine seeing children living in a dump?  Children eager and excited to open up your bags of garbage to see if there is anything useful inside... as though it were Christmas.  It just breaks my heart, completely shatters it.  Especially as I look around our home and see so much stuff, and so much room.  And yet the only thing that I know to do for these type of people is to give money to charitable organizations who can help them.  The one thing we don't have is extra funds.  And yet God has placed these people on my heart, so I do what I can, and that is to pray.  People just shouldn't be living like this! 

I love reading verses like the one I posted above, that says that the poorest of the poor will be seated with princes and treated like royalty.   But I also pray that God will send someone to these people.  Specifically, this morning, I'm thinking about that dump in Honduras.  How many of those children know Jesus?  I just pray that God will do something miraculous to bless those children, and those people who know nothing else but destitution and poverty.  In this affluent world today, there should be no such thing as poverty.  There should not be people living on the streets, because the church should stand up and decide to love.  Our job should be to love the widows, the orphans, and those who truly have nothing.  And as we show the love of The Father to those who are truly in need, they also, can learn to love the same Father.

I feel blessed this morning.  As I go about my day doing the mundane, I am thankful for a house to clean, running water, toilets that flush, a fridge full of food- and a plethora of grocery stores nearby to fill it should it fall empty.  I am thankful for what we have, and I pray this morning that I will stay mindful of all that God has truly blessed us with, and that He will show us opportunities to share what we have.  To share what He has so graciously and abundantly blessed us with.   But most importantly, may He show us those opportunities to share His Love.  May He open our eyes to the need around us and open up our hearts so that we may share the same compassion which He has shown us.