Friday, October 22, 2010

Ramblings of a Sojourned Soul

So I will start by saying that this is Josh. I don't often write on our blog so this post may seem completely different than many before. So here are my thoughts (as scary as they may be)...


Over the past couple weeks I have been reading an incredible book called, “The Hole in the Gospel” by Richard Sterns. If you haven’t read it I highly recommend it, but only if you are prepared to have your world rocked. In one of the sections of this book the author highlights the grim reality that much of the world faces everyday. Here are some examples:

  • Roughly 1 out of 4 children in developing countries is underweight
  • Some 350 to 400 million children are hungry
  • About 1 in 7 worldwide – 854 million people – do not have enough food to sustain them
  • Approximately 25,000 people die EACH DAY of hunger or its related causes – about 9 million people per year (this is greater than the population of the five major cities in Ohio: Dayton, Toledo, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland every year)
  • As many as 5 million people die every year of water-related illnesses.
  • 1.5 – 2.7 million people die of malaria every year.
  • Estimated that 1/3 of the world’s population is infected with TB.
  • AIDS has left over 15 million children behind as orphans.

To be brutally honest, I am not sure that I can really even begin to understand what it would mean to not have clothes to cover my body, clean water to drink, food to eat, or access to even basic healthcare, yet that is the reality that a majority of people throughout the world face everyday.

So what am I trying to say…

Thinking about the reality of the need around the world is overwhelming, especially when I have so much. It is very easy to become paralyzed the devastating realization that the realistic impact of one person can have seems so small.

Yet Christ has conquered all! Jesus said in John 16:33, “…In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” As believers we know one day soon Christ will return and restore his creation. In the meantime as believers we are called to be his hands and feet. Every one of us can make a difference. For Tami and I our decision to adopt has been motivated by this reality. For you it may be something different. The important thing to remember is that all of us are called to make a difference. Robert Pierce, the founder of World Vision said, “Don’t fail to do something just because you can’t do everything.”

While it may seem cliché, the world can only change one person at a time. Our call is to identify those opportunities that God has provided…

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, [6] you did it to me.’

3 comments:

philwing said...

this is GREAT! Thanks Josh.

Unknown said...

It's easy to forget how immensely we have been blessed... thanks for putting this into words man!

jkseevers said...

Great post, Josh! We're right there with you, having our world rocked. So glad to know that we're not alone.

Blessings,
Katie