girl & food

girl & food
Originally uploaded by ratterrell.

I've never thought of myself as a humanitarian or someone who is conscious of poverty in the world. I always blame my neglect to the issues on my ignorance of them. Since my trip to Nicaragua I am no longer ignorant. I always thought that hippies and liberals were the ones that took care of the war on aids and poverty. I guess Jesus was hippie then. I can't say that I am a follower of Christ and not want justice for the orphaned and widowed, the naked and poor. This is a new concept for me. I've always been concerned with MY clothes, MY food, MY well-being. I have little to no needs, all I have are wants. After seeing kids half clothed and hungry, living in a dump my wants seem pretty silly. My initial reaction was despair and shame and the feeling of needing to help. I wanted to give of myself, my things. Then I felt even more shameful because that was my first reaction. The children in Nicaragua don't need my things, they need hope. The hope that can only come from knowing that the Creator of the universe loves them. Now this doesn't mean that all I am to give them is a Bible and a tract. The Bible is clear that we are to meet needs. I have been researching ways to bring justice to the poverty stricken. I'm not sure what I can do, but I'm trying. Not knowing and doing nothing is one thing, but to know and do nothing is sinning. Last time I checked sinning broke the heart of God and I don't want to do that.