As a wordsmith, I’ve always envied the simple and compelling power of pictures. This one, of a gaunt, starved African child’s hand, speaks volumes to Westerners about the blessings we take for granted. No matter how poor you are, compared to other nations, you are rich, simply because you live in the First World. We ought to be grateful for the blessings GOD has bestowed on us.
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Mustard Seed Budget 
And I am grateful. I just don’t show it and act like it enough. Thank you for reminding me and the world.
Help us all, Jesus!
Amen. And in our gratitude we should continue to reach back for those whose hands are small and weak and needy. Great image- even more thought provoking after further reflection.
That is ABSOLUTELY my sentiment as well. Thank you for sharing!
Reblogged this on Teacher as Transformer and commented:
Images do have power that words cannot always bring about. What would it be like to feel such a small, frail, gaunt hand in mine?
How right you are Ivon. We take so much for granted.
Amen and praise the Lord! Yours, Mike
This is a great message to remind all of us to be grateful for what we have and give back to those who are in need. Thank you for this meaningful post! 🙂
Be blessed!
🙂
Our culture has been cut off from most of the world. When you live with abundance it’s often difficult to understand not having everything at your fingertips. It’s impossible to understand how things like this can exist. When I was talking to a bunch of teens about this exact issue they said, “Why don’t they just build McDonald’s where they are?” I explained why that wasn’t possible, but they didn’t understand that anymore then they understood schools where the kids couldn’t say anything they wanted to say and that if someone acted out the entire class got punished. It’s not in their data base, they have no experience on which to base starvation or silence. They don’t “get it.” They don’t know how to think about not having running water or electricity. They just stare at you like your insane. They grow up and that doesn’t change. It’s not that people aren’t “grateful,” it’s just that they don’t understand what they have because they have never been without it. It’s not their fault. They aren’t heatless. I’ve seen people struggle with the concepts but they are so foreign to them that it’s like an alien thing. Why can’t they get food, water, clothing, medical help? What’s stopping them? Who is stopping them?
There’s no difference in our lack of understanding, than it would be for the 1% filthy rich to understand our meager lives. “What do you mean you don’t have your own private jet?” It’s all relative.
Do you think American’s understand what it’s like to live in a war zone? I don’t think so. The concept is there. We have see a million pictures of war and death but it’s not truly part of our culture on the ground. We don’t live around bombed buildings and rubble. We are not occupied by another group of people. Knowing about something and KNOWING that thing are completely different things. If we could learn by hearing about something and seeing pictures then maybe men would stop beating and killing women. But men don’t know what it’s like to be weaker and more vulnerable, in the face of a man who can hurt you whenever he pleases. Men can’t know how women feel because they aren’t women. We can’t understand other countries because we are Americans and carry that with us wherever we go. We are that thing and everything we see or do is filtered through our American world view. It’s like that for everyone and everything.
The pictures are horrifying and the actuality of it is unimaginable. The question is; WHAT CAN ANY OF US DO ABOUT IT? Showing pictures is not feeding someone. Giving money to groups who give 6 cents of each dollar to the actual cause is not helping anyone. If we see the pictures we need the answers that will stop the horror or what is the point? Forced gratitude that we aren’t them? How does that stop it or change the situation? We need action and answers not more pictures. We need to CHANGE THE SITUATION, and strop talking about it. We need solutions.
Wow! Don’t know what to say…
Having been able to travel abroad in my youth, to have seen touched smelled and partaken in their meager fare, I marveled at how deprived our lives have become. And how blessed they felt in their situation, It humbles one to the core!
What I have seen is that the less Christians have materially, the more joyful they are. I speak in terms of some of the poorest nations on the Earth. Those Christians praise God with such joy! It’s amazing!
Reblogged this on StillSearching and commented:
We are, indeed, blessed beyond measure. Thank you for the reminder, not only to be grateful but for the reminder as to WHO it is that is the source of our blessings. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings, for your goodness and for your grace!
Reblogged this on Spiritual challenges .
Reblogged this on Living Life Day by Day … and commented:
A profound note from one of my favourite blogs which means so much more because it’s Christmas-time. Be grateful that you are blessed, and give more than you have ever given before 🙂
I have always appreciated the “1st World vs. 3rd World problems” comparisons. Communism isn’t the answer, but genuine Christian compassion is essential.
Help us genuine 1st world Christians to show compassion to the rest of the world.
Yes, such a great message at this time of year. We are so blessed!! Hugs for this!
hugs to you, Witless.
JK.
You DO have an attention-getting blog title.
We often forget to be grateful. Nothing can be more devastating then what we see in this picture. I’ve shared this on my facebook.
Help us, jesus
My heart is broken.
Yes. Sorry.
I guess I think we need reminders, as painful as they may be, of what reality is like outside of Western Civilization. It seems ironic that God has blessed us and we forget God.
I JUST wrote about this a few days ago on my blog. I was seeing so much on the web about “privilege”… The word was just getting thrown around at people. The fact is I’ve been on both sides of the situation and KNOW that no matter how little we have in the modern world we always have more than the least of these. Thanks for sharing. It needs to be shared.
Thanks for the awesome feedback!
What a message
Thanks!