America: Land of the Free and Plenty

Two things happened the other day. First, I received a text message from my friend, Tammy telling me that Oprah was giving everyone in America a free KFC meal. It said to go to her website, download the coupon and take it to KFC for your meal. The coupons would only be available for 24 hours.
Wow! What a generous offer that seemed to be. Everyone in America? Jeff and I thought she might spend around $150 million. Our number could by way off, but at any rate, she is going to spend a lot of money. More than I would ever have to spend.
The second thing that happened . . . I was reading on Beth’s blog. Melissa had just returned from India and was showing pictures and talking about the 2 Companion children she sponsors. The conditions in India are pitiful. The people are very poor. I saw pictures of people washing in little spigots on the street or in river water that looked like very creamy coffee. I saw slums where 5 people live in a room and people sleep on the roof or the street. I saw the sweet little faces of Pramila and Manot who live in a mud hut with no running water nearby or electricity. They are far from the luxury of the Calcutta slums. I saw depravity; God’s children who only ask that we pray for them.
I pondered these two things as I lay in the bed that night – our fast food computer downloaded world made a stark contrast to the mud huts, dirty water and slums of India. The thing is, we in America, no matter how poor we might think we are, live like kings compared to most people across the third world. We really have no idea what we have here.
Suddenly, Oprah’s generous offer didn’t seem so generous any more. $150 million dollars on fast food for people who can afford to own a computer and a car? Couldn’t they buy their own KFC meal? Wouldn’t that $150 million dollars have been better spent on wells that would provide clean drinking water for millions of people across the world? What was she thinking?
Television numbers? I’m not trying to bash Oprah here, but her generous offer is a perfect example of American mentality. We think of ourselves, our luxuries, our wants. We are greedy!
My husband happened to ride by KFC the day after that text message and the cars trying to get in were lined up down the road. I’m sure they were all thanking Oprah for their dinner that night, but I wonder . . . what if she had said, “For every person who clicks on this link on my website, I will give $5 toward a well in a village in a third world country,” how many people would have rushed to do that? I bet not half as many. We’re greedy. If it’s not for us, we don’t care.
America! Land of the free (will)! Land of the (I want) plenty!

Oh, but hasn’t God blessed us with plenty so that we might let it overflow to those who don’t have as much? And, hasn’t God blessed us with freedom so that we might be able to do with our money what we want. These are really big responsibilities that we’ve been given and we’ve forgotten these things. Or, maybe we never knew them at all. One thing is for sure – we are blind to others and are so caught up in our own little worlds of money and things and who has the most that we don’t look to see that we have a lot of opportunity to help others.
Will we take the time to look? Will we take the time to ask God how we might help – to be willing to reach out beyond what we know to bless others from our blessings? Or, will we remain comfortable in our cocoons of free and plenty? The choice is ours. What will we do?
Luke 6:38 says, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Oh LORD, these are BIG thoughts for a little girl like me. I have no idea where you are going with this. I have no idea what you want me to do with these ideas. All I know is that you are going to have to do a work in me. LORD< give me a heart for your children. Make me love them beyond what I’m capable of because I think my heart is not nearly big enough. Give me a heart like yours – full of love, full of compassion, full of warmth, full of sacrifice and full of whatever else I might need. Full of courage maybe – ‘cause you know I’m a scardy cat and sometimes you ask some scary stuff out of your people. Yes, full of courage.
LORD, I know I am only one person and it doesn’t seem I could do much. But, You are everything and if I am one person FULL of You, I will be able to do whatever you’ve called me to do. So, I ask that You continue Your good work in me. Teach me. Give me a heart like Yours, eyes to see, ears to hear and courage to go forward.
I praise You! I thank You! In Jesus’ name . . .