I received a call from “Compassion International” that we are a few months behind on our support.  It turned out that our credit card information has not been updated.  Follow that, he asked me if I would be willing to donate some $ to aid the global hungry.  I asked “what country?” He said “Bangladesh and Haiti”.  “Haiti?”  I felt a big wrench in my heart.  After hanging up the phone, I sat there in my office quietly but emotionally stirred.  I remember on 6/3/2008, I was reading the following daily devotion from Chuck Colson – Prision Ministry.

“….The men and women of Haiti have actually become so hungry they have turned to eating cakes made out of dirt. Do a simple Internet search on the subject, and you will see a number of videos of Haitians using salt, water, butter, lemon, and clay to make mud cakes. These thin discs are then left to dry in the sun.

I’m not sure how you react, hearing news like this. For me, it is often too easy just to shut it off. We have heard countless stories of hunger and famine around the world. It is too easy to think, “What a shame!” and then flip the station or channel.  That is why, when I heard about some prisoners in upstate New York and how they responded to this crisis, it really caused me to do a double-take.

When a prisoner in Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility read an article titled “Hungry Haitians Eat Dirt to Survive” in the New Readers Press, he did not shrug his shoulders and say, “It’s not my problem.” Instead, he rallied his fellow inmates, who contributed $157 to a charity, Hope for Haiti, to help feed the starving. Since prisoners earn between 12 and 25 cents an hour (if they are lucky enough to have a job), this is an enormous sum.

When a food shortage came in the days of the prophet Elijah, he went to the home of a widow. By faith, the widow, who was facing starvation with her son, fed Elijah from what little flour and oil she had left. Or, remember Jesus’ story about the widow’s mite.

The Bible tells us these stories because the generosity of the disadvantaged, the marginalized, the have-nots, convicts us of our own lack of it. Sure, these are tough times—great economic anxiety, high gas prices. But that is the time when Christians do their best witness. We are not consumed with ourselves. We want to help others who are in worse conditions.”

Oh Lord, my heart breaks for the hungry, the poor and the oppress.  But not let me merely feel and walk away.  Show me your heart, invade me, reduce me, break me, crush me, take away more of the comforts, remove most of the "rights" i once enjoyed so that I will be come the person you intend me to be.   May all this be done for your glory and Kingdom to come. 

 This is one of the deserts that was served at a restaurant?  Would you eat it?  I would - at least I know it's not a real thing.

Some time I am dread coming home like today.  After 12 hours at work, I got home at 9:00 p.m. to see the house was a mess and the lights were on everywhere even though there was only 1 adult and 2 kids were already in bed.  It hurts when you are the one who pays the bill and cleans after people's mess.  Now I have to go and cook for tomorrow dinner and pack lunch for next day work. Will I ever get a rest?  Now you know why I have to be a super woman - I have no choice. 

Oh God! help me, I am going to be insane soon.  If it was not for Jennifer's sake, I would not endure - but for how long?