[DO I GIVE OR DO I NOT?]
“Think of me when you eat tonight”…What do I mean? Don’t worry, I am not talking about having to think of “me” when you eat tonight. This is something that some teenage girl recently said to me. “Seriously, why would she say that?” Doesn’t it make all the hairs on your back stand up from disbelief? That is so manipulating and insensitive! What’s wrong with this girl?
This teenage girl lost both her parents as a child, stays with 4 other people in one room, is pregnant and drinks sugar water (water mixed with sugar for energy) every day because there is no food. And now, here I am sitting in my parked car with the girl next to me and my kids in the back. “Should I give or should I not? Is she trying to manipulate me to make me feel bad? Most people do indeed try to make me feel bad, but this seems like a genuine cry out. But I have helped her so many times before with money and other things, her and a thousand others! Does it ever stop? What would be the point?”
Should I give? Is she trying to manipulate me to make me feel bad?
I think us people, missionary or not, are very good in rationalizing and finding reasons why not to do something, especially when it comes to helping others. We like to think in “problems and solutions”, and giving food to someone is not a solution, or at least not a long-term one. Sometimes we maybe overthink relatively simple situations. I have had multiple conversations with people about how one cannot take the whole world on their shoulders. And that there is no point in feeling bad, as the one being better off, about the other majority of the earthly population living in poverty. After all, how will it be of any value if all those in better circumstances swallow their dinner every night full of guilt and condemnation?
Sometimes we maybe overthink relatively simple solutions
Indeed, it wouldn’t be of any value to drown in guilt. Somehow by God’s grace, some people were born in Germany, while other people were born in a village in Kenya. We can rejoice in God’s grace and be thankful for what He has given us. At the same time I believe we can reach out to the next person just a little more often and not “reason away” our possible contribution or even responsibility to those who have less. Especially when it comes to the basics like feeding, clothing and housing. Truly, can you ever imagine not having any of these essentials? Like really? I remember being locked out of my house once, and I had to wait one hour for someone to come with the keys. While sitting and waiting in front of the house I felt so terribly empty and lost! Thinking to myself, “What if indeed I wouldn’t have a house to go home too. Where would I go?!”
I believe we can reach out to the next person just a little more often and not reason away our possible contribution or even responsibility to those who have less”
In the meanwhile, my 100 NAD bill is screaming at me from my red purse that is between the girls feed. I know that it’s not going to bring any immediate change to her situation, but I also know that I cannot let her go to bed another night without eating. As I give her the money I pray that she will see someone is still caring, that she is not alone and that I am not giving up on her. I pray that it will motivate her to push in life and make better choices. Acts of kindness (applied in wisdom) can never be enough. You should never become tired of them! The Bible says to never get tired of doing good.
As I give her the money I pray that she will see someone is still caring
On a side note though, for those that are wondering if giving money is all we do. We are, and have been, walking a journey with this girl and many others like her. Through an intense journey of mentorship, discipleship and even parenting, we are trying to set these guys up for long-term success. Is it easy? No! Do we sometimes want to give up? Yes! However, being able to change one life means being able to change an entire generation to come. And sometimes it all starts with simply giving towards basic needs.
You know, if all of us, no matter where we are in the world would just take on one person in need, and walk a lifetime journey with this person, what a chain of change would that bring! And these people can help someone else again. It really isn’t that much of a rocket-science. Yes, it will require sacrifices and commitment, but it is so rewarding. We can do this my dear people, let’s go!
gabrielennicol.com 