Out of the mouths of babes...

 


Last evening 12 year old Annie was part of my group as the people here at Amigos for Christ debriefed our day.  One of the questions we were asked was, “what surprised you most?”

Now to put this in context, Annie spent her day in the community of San Benito, working as part of the team that was digging trenches in which to lay water pipes, so that at some point this summer the 115 families that live there might have unfettered access to clean, running water.

Annie’s response was, “you don’t get it unless you see it.” …right you are, my dear!

She went on to explain that her parents had shown her pictures of the work they’d done here in the past…but that hadn’t prepared her for what she actually saw for the first time yesterday.  “I mean, these people have nothing and they are living in such bad conditions, and yet they’re really happy, and they’re really nice, and they really care about you.”

Finally, she was impressed by the fact that everyone had come out to work:  young and old, men and women, boys and girls.  “Like they’re all helping each other!”  She marveled at the fact that sometimes in the U.S. we don’t even KNOW our neighbors…

And all of this got me thinking.  The biggest difference between me and the people of San Benito is simply that I was fortunate enough to have been born in the U.S. 

And if what Annie says is true (and I suspect that it is) it is strange to me that we who have so much are not more like the people we see here - happy, nice, and caring.  Perhaps it is because we worry about things that are really only His to control.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:25-37,34

When Jesus tells us we must love our neighbor, Annie’s wisdom says we must first make an attempt to KNOW our neighbor; for it is only then that might we know what they need.

Thank you Annie for your wise words.

“My child, hold on to your wisdom and insight. Never let them get away from you.  They will provide you with life - a pleasant and happy life.” - Proverbs 3:21-22

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