As we get the new ministry up and running, I find myself being asked all kinds of crazy questions. Questions like:
“Do you really think you can change the world?”
“When you give people something, aren’t you just making them more dependent on the system?”
“How do you know the money/resources you give are really going where they tell you?”
“Couldn’t you have more ‘stuff’, like a bigger house, a newer car, purses that don’t come from Gordmans if you would stop giving all your money away?”
“How come you don’t do ministry/mission work here in the USA….afterall, we have poor people, too?”
Wow….that’s a lot of questions to answer….I was trying to think of reasonable, sound, theological answer to the questions, but all I could come up with was this:
YES
NO
DON’T CARE
YES
BECAUSE GOD TOLD ME WHERE TO SERVE.
I guess maybe those deep answers might need explanation. I don’t feel like I really owe anybody and explanation, but what they heck.. I will put my thoughts out there knowing not everybody may agree….and, in fact, may rattle some chains, but that’s ok…that’s what makes us….well….US. We don’t have to agree on anything, we can agree on everything. That’s the beauty of it all. It is what it is.
Do I think I can change the world? I do. I honestly do. Maybe not in the way you visualize it, but in a way that makes sense to me. Am I ever going to build a dynasty, end world hunger, cause world peace? Nope…sure not. However, I figure if I can make a lasting impact or change just ONE life, then that maybe, just maybe, that 1 life will change a life…or two…then those lives will change a life and so on and so forth. Before you now, there could potentially be this huge cataclysmic force that moves across the world like a tornado does in Kansas.
Do I think I make people dependent on the system? WHAT system? There is NO system in Honduras. I know that I am not a system!!! Do I make people dependent on me?? Nah…I like to think I am giving them a friendly smile and a generous hand up in this cruel world. And even if I did splurge and give them a hand out every once in a while, I think that’s ok. I mean, maybe Oscar’s mom is DEPENDENT on me to help get him through school, but isn’t that ok? Isn’t every one of our own children dependent on us to get them through school?
How do I know the resources are going where they are supposed to? This is a sticky wicket question, and when I say I don’t care, I really mean it…I DO NOT CARE. Here’s the thing…..God told me to GIVE, so I GAVE. What the other person does with that gift is really between them and God. Now, with that being said, I do have strict accountability in place to ensure we operate a ministry that is above board in all we do in the name of the ministry. And yes, that money must go where it’s designated to go. But for me personally, if I give Oscar’s mom money for his education and he gets really sick and she uses that for medical care, I’m really ok with it. I never want to judge…for I, if in her same shoes, would probably do the same thing. So, with that being said, NO, I don’t care what GOD’s money is being used on. What I do care about is whether or not I am faithful to God in doing as He asked.
Couldn’t I have more stuff if I didn’t give all my money away? Yep I sure could. And your point is what?? What do I need? Do I need a bigger house? Nope…sure don’t. Do I need a new, fancy smart car? Nope…my 2009 Kia that has 150,000 miles still gets me from point A to point B. Do I need and expensive MK purse? Heck No! Have you ever seen how hard on purses I am? Why on earth would I pay several hundred dollars for something that I am going to ruin a few months? I just don’t need….STUFF…I just don’t. I am totally ok toting around a $20 purse from Gordmans. I love shopping at resale shops. I don’t need to have all the stuff…it’s not going to make me happy. What makes me happy? Knowing my boys in Honduras are going to eat today. Knowing that for today, they have a full belly.
Why don’t I serve in the US? Because God didn’t ask me to serve here…He asked me to serve in Honduras. I wished He would have asked me to serve locally. Do you know how much easier my life would be? Sheesh…it would be a cake walk…Serving oversees is not easy. Heck…serving anywhere is not always easy, but serving in a 3rd world country….its hard…really, really hard.
Today I received word that a young man I met in Honduras several years ago became a new daddy. I met Mario working on the streets…he was running with a group of guys I perceived as thugs. While I can’t prove they were thugs, I knew in my heart they were thugs. I fell in love with them. Don’t ask me why…have no idea why…but I loved them unconditionally, and they loved be back. I wasn’t like them, and they certainly were not like me. We were a perfect match. Over the years, as I developed and maintained a relationship with these young men, I watched them start to change…all for the good. Especially young Mario, he turned his life around. He went back to school and graduated high school at the age of 20. He found a nice girlfriend, got married, and today, he is a proud father.
Did we change the country of Honduras? Nope…not even close….
Did we make a difference in life? I sure like to think so.
Time will tell.
