Not even half way into reading the story of how the organization got started I was in tears. I could barely read by the end of it. It seriously broke my heart to read that story. What was it about? Children forced to fight in an army before they are even able to hold a gun. Instead of holding a gun, they are on the front lines with whistles. They are just a barricade for the other children with guns. Little kids who should be playing in yard or going to school or yelling at their siblings are starving, fighting for their lives, used as sex objects, stolen from their homes.
It wasn't the first time I read about things like this but for some reason tonight it hit me so hard. What are we doing with our lives? What am I doing with my life? I don't understand why people aren't attempting to do more. Why are we so happy with the way our lives are while there are people...children dying, selling themselves to live just one more day, forced into lives they were never meant to live.
Isn't there something we can do? Not everyone is called to give up everything they have, move to another country, and be a full time missionary in that particular way but there is so much more we can be doing.
God tells us countless times to go out in to the world and bring people to him. He tells us to feed the homeless, to help the helpless, to PROTECT His children. Jesus never once asked someone how they got sick or how they got on the streets.
Even if you aren't a follower of Christ, how is it not heartbreaking to see and hear the things going on in Russia, Africa, China, India, and so many more places that even I don't know about?
I recently read this book called Red Letters by Tom Davis. It completely changed my life. It talks about living a faith that bleeds. It is intense and heartbreaking and difficult to stomach sometimes but so worth it. I can't even explain how much I learned from those 150 or something pages.
As Christians we read so many times about Jesus telling us to ask for something in prayer and we will be given it. What if we were committed to FAITHFULLY, WITHOUT doubts praying for these things? What would happen then? Things would change! The apostles weren't more Godly than the next person, they were just ridiculously faithful. They were able to perform miracles (by Jesus's name) but only because they had such a strong belief in Jesus himself that they knew He could do it through them. Every time you read about them healing someone, you read about how they had such a doubtless faith (of course there were many times where they doubted and fell short etc. but they were humans...that is to be expected). The point is we can do so much just through prayer alone. Maybe you aren't ready to give your time, money, possessions, etc. up just yet but you can still take a few minutes out of your day to remember the things that are going on in the world and pray for them. Pray without doubts.
There are thousands of organizations doing something more. Look for them. Here are a few that I am personally following regularly and committed to, at least in prayer.
http://www.hopechest.org/
http://www.fallingwhistles.com/
http://www.fivefor50.com/
http://tomdavis.typepad.com/
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
Those are only a few. Research for yourself what is going on in the world and find organizations that are trying to help. I only pray that you will listen to God completely and obey Him joyfully.
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