At Peace Gospel we often quote James 1:27 in citing a purpose behind our desire to reach out to orphans and widows. It reads...
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
People tend to quote the first part of that verse because the second part at first glance seems kind of out of place. But the more I think about it, and as I think about it now during this "fast" of sorts, there seems to be a direct correlation there. By keeping ourselves from the pollution of this world (e.g. the deceitfulness of riches and excess) we can better look after orphans and widows in their distress.
Today I don't have any photos of my food, as there was not really anything interesting to capture today. Instead, I'll share with you a photo that I've been thinking about a lot lately. I don't know these kids' names, but their faces are etched in my memory. Their shanty home had just been bulldozed by the police along with scores of other homes in this slum area in Chennai. The space behind them is where their home once stood. The photo speaks for itself...
Prayer focus: Let's just pray for these two little kids in the photo. They are nameless in our minds, but God knows them intimately.
Estimated Savings for Day 10: Today was so busy I probably would have grabbed breakfast and lunch out. Breakfast, probably Starbucks: hot tea and a breakfast sandwich for $3.99. For lunch, something quick like Murphy's Deli. You gotta love their muffalettas. I think a combo meal there costs about $6.99. Add that to my normal estimated daily grocery cost of $7, subtract $1 for today's actual cost, and I'm at $16.98 saved up for my orphanage donation today. My running total is now up to $146.79 in just 10 days.
Haunting picture. They're in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, what you're doing matters.
(No matter what your hunger delirium tries to tell you.)
Thanks for chronicling this journey.
Good Morning Kirby;
ReplyDeleteAs I read your blog this moring I am touched by your honesty...alot of Christians wont admit when they are struggling or have doubts...part of the process of being human and working out our salvation...What you are doing is trying to raise awareness...my awareness is raised to levels it has not been before..I am inspired to pray for orphans, I think about them daily and am moved to do more...God is formalating a plan in me and I'm not sure but how but with God's help I am going to pledge to raise support for 30 orphans on a monthly basis...one for each day...I dont do this to bring glory to myself or to make you like me...we dont even know each other..but that Jesus Christ the most important person of all time,my best friend, my King would be glorified...and that the world would know God loves them...Bless you Kirby and keep overcoming evil with good!!!
Audie Morris
Kirby, thank you for pressing on...it does make a difference. I'm sure this journey is affecting others more than you know, and like you said, yourself. Even just last night, Steven and I were talking about how to drastically cut our budget, and I was ashamed of the things I didn't want to give up. Even when we try to live simply, there is so much excess we have. So thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the encouragement!
ReplyDelete