I want to share

I saw a kid no older than ten years old smoking a cigarette a couple days ago. I can't tell you how that hurts me. He was sitting among a group of 8 other homeless kids, just living the life that he sees as normal. It doesn't matter what background you're from, no one is going to disagree with me when I say that it's not that kid's fault. I'd even go as far as to say that it's my fault. My best guess is that this kid smoking was nine years old. I've seen him begging before. He has a hardened look on his face, the kind you see on the 40 year olds that are smoking outside your average bar. When we see this, naturally we want to blame someone. His parents are the easiest to blame, and I'm sure they're deserving of it. But they aren't present. The person that sold this kid a cigarette needs a swift kick to the face, but that won't change anything. The societal mindset is slowly becoming, "everyone's opinion needs to be respected". Let me go ahead and throw that out the window and tell you that's garbage. Opinions are based on flawed perspectives, from varying backgrounds of unique upbringings. People will tell you that's why we need to respect one another's opinions, but facts suggest differently. This kid I saw smoking will most likely grow up to have an opinion respected by almost no one. And rightfully so, because when you grow up on garbage, you're gonna overflow with garbage, in your speech and in your actions. While we can agree that this kid's upbringing is not his fault, he will be credited with his faults come the end of his days. It doesn't seem fair does it? It's almost like these people need to be told the truth, not my opinion, not your opinion, but the truth. I can say with certainty that there are millions more, just like this kid I saw, who were born into hopelessness and will live a life of hopelessness apart from being told the truth. I've told people my thoughts, my opinions, my advice on countless occasions, only to find out later how wrong I was. My words come and go, but truth is everlasting and universal. The reason I tell people about the Bible isn't because I grew up being told the bible, because then it seemed just a book. I can confidently tell people about God's word now because I know it to be truth. The Bible speaks of the same problems with the same wrong answers from thousands of years ago that we still face now. We may be intelligent people, we may be well-taught, but we will always have flawed opinions. Our opinions derive from our natural selfishness that leads us to believe we're entitled to things, and thus we can live how we want. The problem with living how we want is that it leaves others in need. If we live how we need, by serving others (like this 9 year old smoker), our wants have a funny way of exposing themselves as they are, unimportant. This isn't a "my way" versus "your way" thing. I've influenced people to live my way, and it's flawed. The quicker we understand everyone's opinions are not all that important, including our own, the more we long for a higher standard. That's why the Bible doesn't teach us that Jesus's standard of living isn't "a way" but "the way". The quicker that's understood, there will be less homelessness and less hopelessness, and more humble hearted helpers. Maybe this seems like a bold conclusion to be drawn from one instance of a homeless kid smoking a cigarette, but this conclusion can be drawn from every issue in every corner of the earth, because it is truth.

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." -Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Helping to provide for 1st and 2nd grade students

I mentioned in my last blog post the opportunity we had been presented with to help out a group of 26 students with school supplies. Early last week we were able to put together little bags with notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers and a few other small things to present to the students. This little community we helped is one I've never been to before, a couple miles off the high way on an old dirt road. There are two small school buildings for first and second graders seemingly in the middle of nowhere where two ladies travel by bus from Matagalpa to come and teach. When we showed up to the class of first graders during their early morning class, they were all excited to have us. We passed out a packet of school supplies to each student, some of the most grateful kids we've served. It made me smile to see how excited these kids were when we brought these things. It wasn't a great amount, it ended up costing a little under $100, but the teacher was quick to let us know how much that meant for these little kids future schooling for the year. As a kid, it's always cool to have your own things, and many of these students were without the simple things that the average student has. Below are a few pictures of the kids all excited to hold up their bags and thank us. We realized on our way out that there were another 30 or so kids who were in the other class without supplies. We returned at the end of the week to help those kids out as well. It was a great blessing to serve these young students and pray for their futures!