Blood Brother

A few weeks ago, I determined that if I were to watch anything on TV, it must at least leave me smarter than before. And seeing as I have already learned all that I possibly can from Frasier Crane and Ray Barone...  :)

I caught several interesting documentaries that week.

One in particular was "Blood Brother" on Netflix.  http://www.bloodbrotherfilm.com/

It features the story of a young man who discovers that he has a profound heart for the children in an HIV orphanage in India. And so he does whatever he can to stay there with them and care for them. 

So humbling. Encouraging. And convicting.

But, one statement in particular really caught my attention and stuck with me. He said ~ 

  "I could live in a nicer house... there's a lot of reasons why I don't do that. I think it creates a separation... Other people can't turn off their suffering or medicate their suffering with money. But, when you put those same standards on yourself, it almost forces your heart to change."

Wow. 

So true.

Rocky could, even in ministering to these people, place himself in a more comfortable situation than those he cares for. But, he doesn't. He keeps himself on the same level. In the same conditions. It matters for both he and the children that he do so. In that, I believe it reinforces that they are not simply charity, but his family. He is one of them. And, as such, truly understands their struggle.

How different would our lives look and others' look, if we lived by this example and more readily entered into the messiness of others' lives. And not merely gave from a place of our own comfort?

The Power of Just One

Many times, over the years, I've thought about how very different a life can be with (or without) just one person.   

One person who 'gets you'.

One person you click with.

One person to do life with.

I can't help but think that I'd be a much more interesting person if I just had that one person. 

I love to travel. Have a whole bucket list of places I would love to see. But, who wants to go alone?

So, while everyone else talks about weekend trips and getaways and asks how my weekend was, all I have to offer is "It was alright."  

(I tried to even go alone to a state park a couple hours away once by myself, years ago, because I wanted to go and was tired of missing out just because I didn't have someone to go with. So I bucked up, packed up a lunch and headed out. The drive there was fine. It was a beautiful Fall day. But, by the time I got there and got my lunch out, surrounded by all kinds of people there with loved ones, I choked down my sandwich and choked down tears the whole way home.) I wasn't made to do life alone.

If I had but one guy - I'd more than likely have a nice home. I'd probably have had many a sleep-over nights with my niece and nephew.

Might even have my own kids running around. A house full of craziness. But never a dull moment. 

And man, how different that would be.

With just one, I might not feel like an appendage to family gatherings. I would have my own entity within it. And not everything would hinge on my sister's family. (Which I think would be a relief to them as well.)

I'd have sooo many more unforgettable moments. And someone to remember them with.

Gosh, I think... the power of just one.

But, then I think of the One I do have in my life. And the limitless power of that One. The holy One. The One who laid the very foundations of this earth. The One for whom the stars dance and sun shines. The One who both precedes and follows me. Who I can never escape from! Even in darkness, I cannot hide from Him. (Psalm 139)

It may be lonely at times. But, I am not alone.

I may feel stuck at times. But, He's stuck right there with me.

And for that One, I am eternally grateful for.

Missing Someone I Have Never Met

If you've ever seen the movie "Facing the Giants" then you probably remember the scene. (Especially, if you've seen it as many times as I have.) 

Brooke and Grant Taylor have been struggling with infertility and despite the recurring disappointment, Brooke maintains a hope that one day, they will have children in their home. Someone to read to. Someone to teach songs to. And ends by saying "How can I miss someone so much, that I have never met?"

Man, do those words resonate with me.    

Though I have never had the 'ticking clock', overwhelming desire to have children, I do struggle with this overwhelming desire to be with someone I've (evidently) not yet met.

Will I ever meet the one whom I long for, this side of glory? Only God knows.

But, I believe the older I get, the more I begin to recognize another deep longing within me as well. The desire to be with the One I have yet to meet; God himself. 

And I believe that overwhelming desire will be met. One day.

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."  (C.S. Lewis)