More than five years ago, after a very difficult year filled with personal tragedy and just plain hard times, I left teaching and ended up working for a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower people in communities to better their own lives, the lives of others, and ultimately the lives of their communities. At the time, I felt God had blesesd me by providing me with a job, especially one that was such a good fit for me, particularly where I was at the time emotionally and mentally. Looking back on it, I can see that God was preparing my mind and my heart to do more for Him during my life. A lot more. I'm not one who knows many statistics off the top of my head, but one thing I learned during my two years of working for the nonprofit was how to find data.
"Water scarcity affects one in three people on every continent of the globe" (World Health Organization, Fact File, Fact 2, http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/water/water_facts/en/index1.html on October 31, 2010).
"Almost one fifth of the world's population (about 1.2 billion people) live[s] in areas where the water is physically scarce. One quarter of the global population also live in developing countries that face water shortages due to a lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers and aquifers" (World Health Organization, Fact File, Fact 3, http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/water/water_facts/en/index2.html on October 31, 2010).
"[In America,] approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year [National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007]" (National Coalition for the Homeless, Fact Sheet "How Many People Experience Homelessness?", http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html on October 31, 2010).
Based on studies conducted, "approximately 1% of the U.S. population [experience] homelessness each year, 38...to 39%...of them being children [Urban Institute 2000]" (National Coalition for the Homeless, Fact Sheet "How Many People Experience Homelessness?", http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html on October 31, 2010).
In the Fort Worth region (Region 11, as established by the Texas Education Agency), 42.8% of enrolled students were economically disadvantaged during the 2008-09 school year. Additionally, 41.8% were considered to be at risk (Texas Education Agency, Academic Excellence Indicator System, 2008-09 Region Performance Report, Region 11: Fort Worth, http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker on October 31, 2010).
In the San Antonio region (Region 20, as established by the Texas Education Agency), 62.2% of enrolled students were economically disadvantaged during the 2008-09 school year. Additionally, 50.6% were considered to be at risk (Texas Education Agency, Academic Excellence Indicator System, 2008-09 Region Performance Report, Region 20: San Antonio, http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker on October 31, 2010).
So. Changes things a bit in your own perspective, doesn't it? Why am I complaining that my feet are cold? I don't even know the number of pairs of socks I have, but it's more than enough. The office coffee is too weak? At least it was brewed with water that won't make you sick. Given the tight economy, you weren't able to take a family vacation? At least you have a home to keep you safe and comfortable every day.
So. What does God have to say about such matters?
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).
"'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mark 12:31b).
One of the reasons I love the ocean is that you cannot see where it ends. Its size overwhelms me. And it reminds me of how much larger God is than I, and how much more of His world there is than I. The more and longer I live, the more I learn that His plan for me is bigger than I am. And I am learning that He equips me every day to live out His plan for my life. I am nowhere close to following my understanding and beliefs as I feel I should. But I'm getting there.
Our Father, I ask that You would enlighten us to really see Your world and the people in it. Make it painfully clear, LORD, who our neighbors are and what their needs are. And I ask You to empower us with Your Spirit to do something about it.
Amen.
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