Perspective

Last week I (Aimee) signed up to be a part of a Lent series through World Vision called “act:s” (www.worldvisionacts.org).  Here’s a paragraph directly from the website:

ACT:S is all about action. We are a network of young activists fighting to change the brokenness in this world, writing our own modern-day Book of Acts. But to truly understand the brokenness brought by global poverty and injustice, we need to take a step back. We need to experience and understand the world – just as Christ took human form to experience the struggles of man.

I’m receiving daily emails that offer questions and insights to challenge my thinking.  I also receive weekly emails with specific stories of people living in poverty, suffering from injustices, struggling to get by.

This week, I read the story of a widow and her three daughers in Africa.  The woman and her two older children (who are still young) work in a gravel quarry.  They dig and search all day long for enough gravel that they can sell, if a buyer happens to come around that day, usually earning a little over $2 a day.  They eat 1 meal a day, and that meal is always simple.  The children don’t go to school because they can’t afford the fees.  They don't even get to stay home and play because they need to help earn enough money to pay their rent and buy food to stay alive.  The youngest daughter, a toddler, is sick, but her mother has to take her to the dusty quarry everyday because there’s no one to watch her at home.

The challenge that followed the story was to go without something physical this week, some luxury or perhaps even a (perceived) necessity, to try and understand a little bit of what this family, and many others like them, deals with everyday. 

I understand the reasoning behind their challenge, but I couldn’t help but think how ironic it was.  You see, I had just gotten home from shopping.  I received my tax refund last week and my mother and I had gone out to get a few things.  We purchased groceries, including a little splurge on some imported cheese.  I had also purchased a new face wash, facial mask, eye crème, and a couple of other similar products.  Then, I came home and read a story about a family who eat 1 meal a day, after I had been complaining cause the store was out of the type of breakfast cereal that I like.  I read about a woman who would dearly love to send her children to school but she can't afford food and school.  And I had just spent money on eye crème cause I was concerned about the beginning appearance of fine lines?!  Needless to say, their story gave me some perspective.

So, I began thinking about what physical things I can go without.  Because of some health issues I can’t skip meals (the fact that it’s even a choice is another little bit of reality check), but I can eat simpler meals and ditch the sweets.  All of the toiletry items I purchased are safely stowed away; I’ll use them eventually, but not right now.  No jewelry.  No video or computer games.  No wasting time online.  I intend on spending more time this week reading, praying, and journaling.

Hopefully, in time, when I begin using products again, when I put on my earrings in the morning, when I check out the latest news on Facebook, I’ll remember not to take these little luxuries for granted, and I’ll work a little harder to make a difference for those in the world who do without everyday.

If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage you to check out World Vision’s act:s series (www.worldvisionacts.org) and even to sign up for the daily and/or weekly emails.  It just might give you a little perspective, too.