Hands and Feet

In a previous post, I wrote of my broken heart. I longed to do something, anything, if it meant I could help a kid somewhere in the world who was suffering in some way. This past week, on April 5th, I got to.

Thousands of people across America participated in "A Day with No Shoes" sponsored by the Toms company. The point of this is: go without shoes; people ask why; you tell them about Toms and what they do. What DO they do? If you buy shoes from them, they send one pair of shoes to a shoeless child for each pair you buy. So my campus, and hundreds others all over the country, raised awareness. I know for a fact that thousands of children are soon going to have a new pair of shoes to protect their feet because of our awareness promotion. I feel elated that I got to do something so seemingly insignificant that will impact people in a way I'll never understand fully.

However, as elated and heartwarming as my gesture made me feel at the time, I began to think about it. Yeah, I went a day without shoes, but it was easy. The point of the day was to put ourselves in their positions and see what it felt like. I couldn't. How can I when I know that if at any time I wanted to stop this 24-hour vow, I could? As it turns out, this wasn't the answer to my broken heart. I don't just want to send a child shoes, whom I'll never meet. I want to go; I want to see their faces as I hand them the shoes myself. I want to go to a place, give them MY own shoes, and take their place. I want to know what it's really like to be like them, where I don't have a choice. That road will be hard, but what pathway to a lesson, love, or true desire of the heart is ever easy?

I've been blessed all my life, even in my struggles, whether I realize it or not. I've been halfway to Hell and back, but I've been blessed all along the way. I really don't know what it's like to live like the kids I want to help and love. I want to know.

I have a heart for the children of third world countries, but that's not to say I care any less for the poor children of my own country. I seek out those children too. Every kid deserves the chance to have their basic needs met and to be healthy and happy and loved.

God, give comfort to the little ones in this world tonight. The ones who suffer and hunger and thirst. The ones who I will never get to show Your love to. The ones who think their lives are meaningless. Show Yourself, Your love, Your hope, Your truth.
Dad, thanks for the blessings You have given me and the resources to do something about the injustice I see around me. And thanks for Jesus and His love for me.