I'm having a hard time lately dealing with people. Specifically, people who are not like minded when it comes to what I think is close to God's heart. I'm having a hard time feeling 'proud' to be an American. Because more and more, I am finding that the two problems above are intertwined. I'm starting to think that the American way, is not thinking about God's heart.
Since I was young, I had heard the stories about foreigners not liking Americans. I never understood why...until recently. I have encountered some people that are what I am starting think of as American Snobs since we started our adoption of a little boy in Africa. These are the ones that even after a little thought want to know why Africa, and if they are really bold, why NOT the US. I'm not Talking about simple curiosity, I'm talking about offended that we would go all the way over there to get a child when there are plenty of them here....according to them.
Really? Where are all of these starving children in the US? Where are all these children dying of preventable diseases? I'll tell you...they aren't here. They don't exist. There are orphans here. And I am not negating the fact that some of them have a very bad situation. I'm not denying that they would love to be adopted, to have a forever family, a mom and a dad. (Heck, we will probably also adopt from the US one day!)
What I am saying is that these children do not have a death sentence if someone doesn't act. I'm saying that our gov't system is so screwed up in certain states that it's darn near impossible to adopt a foster child.
I'm saying that in a country in Africa the size of Texas, over 25,000 children have died...
in just 3 months.
And when I say something about that on Facebook, I'm blasted because I don't know how many will die today in the US.
I'll tell you how many....
5 children will die today in the US from abuse or neglect.
These children will die because a parent or the adult in charge of them will beat them or not care for them properly.
Pure evil.
Not because there is no food in the 4 grocery stores within 10 miles of our homes, I was just at two of them....there is still plenty of food.
300 children will die today in the Horn of Africa, because their parent or adult in charge of them can't feed them. How does that invoke a reaction of "well, we need to take care of our own country first"? How does that not bring out compassion? How does that not break your heart? They are saying that 800,000 children will die before ethos is over....how can we go on without action?
Um, and quite frankly, it's not the point, is it?
The point is, that this child is dying right now.
And we are not doing anything. We are not even talking about it in the news!
My thoughts, I once heard that compassion was like a muscle, it needs to be exercised. I think that we are not using this muscle. We rarely exercise compassion, for our own people and very rarely for other nations.
I'm starting to not even want to share this broken heart of God's with others....seems like so many people just don't care.
I'm starting to understand when it says in the Bible to not throw your pearls to the swine...seems like so many people just. don't. care.
So, if the picture makes you uncomfortable, go ahead and close the blog, but if in you, you can hear your heart echoing God's heart, if you can feel it start to break, go here and do something, anything....
Change After 30 Years
9 months ago