Written Shortly after my mission trip to Mexico December 2009.
La Mision, Mexico
We spend all our time searching for happiness, looking for love, trying desperately to find a sense of purpose; we do anything and everything possible to obtain these things.
Well for the first time in my life I realized what life is actually all about, it is not something that can be taught in a classroom, found on Google or seen in a picture, in fact the only way to truly learn is to experience it with such intensity that there is no denying the truth that is staring you in the face.
While in Mexico we spent two mornings in a dump in Tijuana making a hot meal for the children living there. This was their only hot meal of the day, and potentially their only meal, talk about having your heart in your throat. As I watched the children come in to eat, knowing their circumstances, I had a pain in my heart so unbearable I could hardly hold back the tears, yet the children had such incredible joy radiating out of them. I recall two brothers, so silly, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, and I don’t even know half of what they were saying. They made eating grilled cheese more enjoyable then I ever thought it could be. They finished everything on their plate, politely said “Gracias” and then went about their way. I wondered why and how they could have so much joy when they literally had nothing. When one of the boys was asked where his house was (which consisted of old rotted wood, and anything else they could find to put it together) he said [translated] “My house is in my heart in Jesus”.
We spent a day in Primo Tapia giving out 100 food hampers to families in most immediate need. House after house a different story, the same unbelievable poverty. All these people each with their own story, whether it is the widow with 9 children, the father on kidney dialysis waiting for a liver transplant, or the many husbands without work and no means to feed and clothe their families, they all shared one of the same characteristics, their welcoming love, “Mi Casa es su Casa”, my house is your house. These people didn’t have much, but what they had they were proud of and what is more is that they wanted to share everything that they had with a complete stranger.
There is one family I met when we were giving out food hampers, an elderly couple in their 70’s and a lady who comes to care for them, who also lives in poverty. As I walked into their living space, it was not even suitable to call a house. I will describe it as best as I can. It was made of brick, with arch shaped windows, no glass, a piece of wood waist high used as a door. The ground was dirt, there was a small fire with a pot sitting over top of it. I was greeted at first by two woman giving me big hugs, as I looked over to my right I saw a man sitting on a chair, pain on his face like I have never seen in my life. He looked completely broken, hopeless as he got up to give me a welcoming hug, I held back the tears. We began to talk to the family and the caretaker took us to the one room in the house, a tiny concrete room, it was like a cellar you would see in someone’s basement, it took me a second to realize where I was, but as I looked around I saw sheets and a blanket on the concrete floor, and a cowboy hat hanging on the wall. When I begun to comprehend that this elderly couple who have worked hard their entire lives, abandoned by their children, slept in a old building on concrete floor with the freezing cold wind blowing in. The tears started flowing down my face as I could not believe what a selfish life I live. How many times have I complained about being uncomfortable on a bed, too cold, or worse yet, too hot. How did it come to be that I live in a society where we want a bigger house, a better car, the newest fashion trends, the fittest body, the prettiest face, when the 80% of world lives in poverty? When I compare myself to North American Society, I am certainly not wealthy, I have enough to get buy, but I tell you this, compared to 80% of the world, I am incredibly wealthy. So if I sit here and think that I do not have enough to give I am sadly mistaken, I have more than enough. If you have found a way to the internet and are reading this then you also have more than enough.
The story of the elderly couple would not be complete if I didn’t write this next part. We prayed for them, as they accepted Jesus in to their hearts for the first time, it was incredibly powerful and I left their feeling all kinds of emotions I didn’t understand. After we finished delivering food hampers we returned to the local church, as we were departing I saw the elderly couple walking towards me, the look on the old man’s face was not the same as I had seen only an hour before, in fact it was actually a smile. He and his wife had walked at least 45 minutes down to the church to tell us that after praying for healing of his eye (which was wounded and painful) that he was healed, his eye did not hurt anymore, and he was beginning to see out of it again. These people were no longer the couple I had met in the cold concrete building, they were left changed with renewed hope and renewed hearts.
Why write this, and what does this have to do with life’s purpose? It is simply this, what do these people living in poverty have that gives them joy? The have the ability to GIVE, everything they have even if it is not much. They have LOVE, love for their families, love for the people in their community, and in many cases love for the Lord. So really life’s purpose is simple, give all you have, whether it is using your talents to help others, give to organization that is meaningful to you or one of the thousand other ways to give. Next love, love the poor, love your family, your friends, love the stranger who lives on the street that you walk by everyday or the worker at the coffee shop struggling to get by. I know for a fact that if you find ways to give more, and love more, you will find yourself feeling more purposeful then you ever thought possible, I encourage you to take this leap, get out of your comfort zone and start making the world a better place.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
Take a minute to scroll through the facts on that website. I believe that people are good, and that they want to help others, the hard part in North America seems to be “how do we help” and "where do we start?". Let’s put our heads together and make change.
-The elderly couple in Primo Tapia is in need of a house. Let’s help them!
-I know of a local family who is in need of a wheelchair accessible home and does not have the financial resources. Let’s help them!
-Haiti is now, more than ever in need of Canadian’s help. Let’s find a way to contribute!
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