Why I'm Doing This

I kept thinking that at some point before our Kids Against Hunger African Relief Event, I would write a blog explaining why I'm doing what I'm doing. I envisioned putting faces of starving children all over this post and many inspirational interiews with Bono and others. But today when I reflected on the real reasons why I'm so passionate about obeying this short-term call the Holy Spirit laid on my heart...when I closed my eyes, the faces above were the only ones I saw.

1. How can I tell them, pray for them, encourage them to go out and change their world in the Name of Jesus...if I don't believe I can too?
2. How can I tell them to obey God no matter the cost, no matter what He may ask, no matter how foolish you look and no matter how much you may irritate some people...unless they see me willing to do this as well?
3. If a mere flip of the map were reversed, how could I look in any of these faces and decide which one was strongest to carry to a relief camp?
4. And how can I tell them to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind" and to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37, 39)...knowing that my "self" doesn't want to be hungry yet not caring that my neighbor is?
5. Basically, how can I possibly show them how much God loves them...if I'm not loving them and others with the same wildly, passionate love that God does?

So there's five...but there's so many more...as I see them getting excited...as I see them wondering who will show up and the anticipation of how big this could be. As I see them calculating how many days a child will be fed as money comes in. Mostly, as I see them laying aside themselves...their wants, desires, plans and yes, food for about 26 hours...I have the deep satisfaction of knowing that no matter how many reasons there are...no matter what the total adds up to at the end of the day...my faith has already been multiplied by four!

And that, dear friends...is the only reason I need!