Tuesday, June 12, 2007


WHAT WILL WE DO?

I sit here today in comfort...air conditioning and fans going to beat the heat, a belly full of a delicious and nutritional breakfast, my children safely playing outside in a yard scattered with toys, and a house filled with so much stuff it has to sit around in piles for lack of enough storage space.


Yet all over the world today, countless people are living in fear, dying from hunger, working as slaves, fighting to survive, watching their loved ones succumb to the evil of AIDS, and wondering if anyone even cares.


I do care...but do I care enough? Do I really and truly care enough to not just sit here and feel guilty, but DO SOMETHING?!?


God is waking up many of us here in America to the reality of our apathy. We've allowed all the good things that we've enjoyed drug us into a selfish complacency. Sure, we care, but we're often just too busy or wrapped up in our own little world to care about the rest of the world...the rest of the world that on the most part, desperately needs us to bring about change.


"Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us." James 1:27


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Looking for a change?


Tom Stoddard's visual essays: http://tomstoddart.com/emotion.html


Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/


IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION: http://tomstoddart.com/emotion.html


Zoe Children's Homes: http://zoechildrenshomes.org/


Author Lisa Samson: http://lisasamson.typepad.com/


Children's Hopechest http://www.hopechest.org/


CARE POINTS in Swaziland: http://www.tomdavis.typepad.com/

10 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Here from Lisa Samson's. "Drug us into a selfish complacency." Amen!

Drewe Llyn said...

I feel the pain and see the need in a million different places all over the world and in our community. People starving either from lack of food or lack of care or both. But what to do????? That's what I keep coming back to. What to do? How can I really make a difference? Where should I put my time, energy, and money? How can I break free from the four walls of the church out to where the lost really live???????

Drewe Llyn said...

I feel the pain and see the need in a million different places all over the world and in our community. People starving either from lack of food or lack of care or both. But what to do????? That's what I keep coming back to. What to do? How can I really make a difference? Where should I put my time, energy, and money? How can I break free from the four walls of the church out to where the lost really live???????

Emily said...

Hi, I just added a link to your blog to mine and will plan on coming here often. Visit me sometime if you like. Am a long-time hser, Rower and lurker (don't post much at all on the FIAR site). Appreciate your posts and this issue. Talking about it is good. Doing is probably better. The question is what. Anyway, thanks for asking the hard questions.

Elysa said...

I so understand, Drewe Llyn. We obviously CAN'T do everything and even if we spent 24/7 trying, there'd still be unmet needs...and we'd be either insane or dead. So the question is...how does God want US with our unique gifts, resources, passions, and personalities to be meeting specific needs?

Praying that you'll be doing what He wants you to do...and ONLY what HE wants you to do. And that's not always simple when you're a pastor's wife.

Elysa said...

Thank you for visiting and commenting, Elizabeth and Emily. We're think that we're beginning to figure out God's place in His plan for this season. Updates and details to follow...and hopefully, for this inpatient daughter, SOON! :)

Elysa said...

P.S. to Emily. I clicked on your name but didn't find your blog listed at your profile. Can you give me a link? TIA! :D

Drewe Llyn said...

I just can't wait to hear what God has in store for you!!!!!!!!!

Emily said...

Hmm. I'm not sure why but I can't seem to edit my profile so it shows my blog! Wish I could figure it out, but I can't.

Anyway here I am:
www.all-right-here.blogspot.com

I just remembered that we have actually met IRL. Years ago we ate breakfast across the table from one another on the last morning of the FIAR conference. I don't even remember where it was, Kansas City maybe? In some hotel. :-)

Kelli Standish said...

Elysa,
I came here via Lisa Sampson's blog post about your site, and stayed because of your African post.

I was a missionary to Sudan, and miss it so much. I truly found 'home' there. And loved the things you shared about the people.

I've got some info about Africa (even a cool African music player!) on my blog, so please stop by some time. (http://kellistandishwrites.blogspot.com ) And I'll stop back here as often as I can.

Cheering you on,
Kelli