Her story has challenged my heart so deeply. I feel like Isaiah who had a vision of standing in the throne-room of God and being overwhelmed by what he witnessed! His response: (Isaiah 6:5 NASB)
Woe is me, for I am ruined!I have been shown a literary picture of the reality of true poverty through the sacrifice and genuine love of a young girl! Her compassion has challenged me and the opulent life that I live. Almost everything I do now is run through a filter of how my extravagance could have been re-routed to help Katie's kids.
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips;
for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
I read Wes Stafford's book, Too Small To Ignore, last year and it had a similar impact on me. God is clearly speaking to me about bringing my life into conformity with His compassion for the poor!
Last night, we ate in an exclusive restaurant in Baltimore, The Capital Grille. Although, Travis picked up the bill, I suspect that it was for over $200. I came home and wrestled to get to sleep. How many children could have been sent to school for that sum?
We've stayed in hotels several times recently; each time I pay the bill, I think about the children of Masese (Ugandan refuse dumps) who sleep in the dirt, wear no shoes, and go untreated for worms. I think about orphans whose parents have died and who care for one another as best they can.
I know. This Schindler-esque thinking can drive you crazy. It can make you do radical things. IT CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE!!
But, like Isaiah, now that I've seen the reality I must do something! I've been shown the evil of an affluent society. I've faced the reality of my complicity in this evil as a result of my ignorance and cold-heartedness. I must do something...
HERE AM I, LORD, SEND ME!!!
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