My Wednesday...

Wednesdays are always days of deep thought and introspection for me, especially since September. I have been taking a class on social justice at our church called JustFaith. It has really been an incredible journey and I have read, watched and been exposed to many things that are asking me "what are you going to do to change this"? And it SO much exposure that at times you kind of want to shrink inside and block it out, but therein lies the problem- too many of us are blocking it out.

And so I sit here in my warm, safe, large and comfortable home, while my daughter sleeps soundly in her crib. At the same time my son, who has autism, is safe at school, getting a good education and has been allowed to grow and learn as much as possible and will thrive in his life. Later I will look in my cabinets and refrigerator that are full of food and decide what we will eat for dinner. After some family time, our kids will get bathed in clean water and go to sleep in safe, warm beds. But as we all know that is not the case for most of the world.

Most of the world lives on less than $2.00 a day- think about that when you buy your Starbucks every morning. Most of the world does not have clean water, daily food to eat, access to good healthcare. In many countries, my daughter and I would not be allowed to be as educated as my husband and my son. Regan and I would be under-valued only because of our gender. We may be forced into marriage, raped, abducted and forced in human trafficking. My husband has a frustrating and stressful job, but he has a good and steady job. He does not have to leave us behind while risking his life traveling through the deserts of Arizona to come and look for work. I do not have to fear death at this age because of AIDS or worry that my children will be orphaned. And at this moment we are not fearing for our lives because we choose to follow Christ.

And don't hear me saying that I don't participate in this society, because I do. I have a brand new Mac and just got a new blackberry and last weekend got my hair highlighted and cut. This afternoon I stopped by and picked up my daily green tea at Starbucks and this weekend my husband and I are going to pay to go to a movie and dinner. I am very much a part of this society, but I hope that I am beginning to take the steps to educate myself about the world in which I live. Because the world my family and I live in, isn't just this little bubble we call Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA- it's global.

The decisions I make to purchase items for my family- food, clothing, electronics, health items- everything has a ripple effect. We live in a global world and we must acknowledge that we are bigger than just what physically touches us. As a Christian I know it is my obligation to reach out and help my fellow woman, but it shouldn't fall only to faith-based organizations. I don't care who you call God or if you never speak that name, you live in and amongst humanity. Help and reach out because you are human.

Think about it, educate and inform yourself and then choose how you will act.

Melinda