Over the past few days, a lot has taken place, and today while having a few minutes to relax I began to realize something very startling; I was becoming calloused to the pain around me. Don't get me wrong - when I see the children and the mothers and fathers in the squatter villages struggling for food, it breaks my heart, but I realized that it didn't break my heart enough to spur me into action. I oooo'ed and aaahh'ed at the poverty we drive by everyday and always thought to myself, "Wow, I am so blessed not to live like that." But you see, that's a wrong attitude; it's just like that Pharisee in the Bible who gave thanks to God basically saying, "Thank you SO much that I'm not like that sinner over there. I am so lucky! Poor guy - o well! At least I'M blessed and happy and cleansed."
Once again, don't get me wrong here - I am so amazing thankful and greatful and privelaged to be blessed the way I am with an incredible family as well as shelter and food - but I am missing the point. I am not blessed and favored because of who I am. I am nothing. The squatters are just as blessed as me, just in different ways. It has nothing to do with who I am or what I've done that I've earned what I have. God planted me where I am because of his crazy awesome plan for my life. And God has plans for every person we drive by.
So I guess that I am trying to say it's very easy to look over at someone else and say, "Thank God I'm not like them!" But that is such a prideful and selfish statement, implying that they are worse off or not as good as us. It's about time we look at ourselves next to people like the squatters and say, "God, show me what do you want me to learn from them? Work ethic? Sacrifice? Sacrificial love? Unmaterialistic joy? What, God? Show me. Teach my heart to be like your heart and not compare myself to others. Mold my heart to fit yours."
It's time to live outside the box, y'all.
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