So I go to Sunnybrook Community Church here at home and they often have different ways to reach out to others whether it is in our own community or across the world. Right now we are doing a challenge associated with World Vision. It’s called the Matthew 25 challenge and it’s based off of the scripture Matthew 25:35-36: “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirst, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Based off this scripture; on Monday we skipped lunch and broke our fast at dinner with rice and beans. Tuesday the only beverage we could have was water. Today (Wednesday) we have to sleep on the floor, tomorrow we have to wear the same clothes we wore today, Friday we are to reach out to someone going through a difficult time, and Saturday we are to take a 30-minute prayer walk.
So today I am writing to tell you about my experiences thus far.
Monday: “For I was hungry, and you fed me…”
Reflecting on my experience today, it’s funny to think that the first thing I heard someone say was “I don’t like beans, but I’ll eat some rice.” Not very often do we stop to think about all those we could take the time to feed, however, we rarely ask if they’ll like what’s provided. I doubt people who live off of rice and beans truly like rice and beans. They eat to stay alive. This brings about another comical trend in our lives; we’ve created a word to describe just how hungry we are and to excuse our possible sour attitudes. Hangry. We are accustomed to becoming “angry” when it’s honestly probably only been an hour since we last ate. There are people who are too tired to be “angry” because it has been DAYS since they last ate. As I type this my husband is feeding one of our cats. For the second time today. We feed our pets but when do we feed others? When do we feed our souls?
Tuesday: “…I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.”
Today I drank only water. No leftover cereal milk, no juice, no latte, only water. This wasn’t much different from a lot of my days, however reflecting on the minimum 6k walk it takes to get dirty water for some prompted me to be grateful for the filtered, running water that I can get from my own hoe. This beverage that I often find bland and unappetizing I take for granted fuels my body and sustains life all around me.
Wednesday: “…I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.”
Tonight I will be sleeping on the floor so I imagine I’ll have a little more perspective tomorrow, however World Vision has sent out some discussion prompts:
1. If you had to leave your home, what would you miss most about your home?
I’m sure this answer would be different if this wasn’t a hypothetical but I’m not sure what the real answer is. Having gone to basic training, AIT, Mexico, India, and Nicaragua I can say that what I’ve missed most about being in the area I’ve called is the comfort and freedom I’ve felt to let go and be myself. In all these areas you are with acquaintances or strangers that you want to be respectful towards, that you want to make comfortable so you often put yourself out to make others happy….which ironically just stresses everyone out but no one is very good at crossing that bridge.
In a more tangible sense I think I might miss my couch. I find myself there at least once a day with my blanket either taking a nap, reading a book, studying, watching TV…you name it. It’s probably my favorite place to be in the house.
2. What would you take with you?
My kittens. I mean, they are my babies. I’d miss them the most if I had to leave them. They are so loving and affectionate. I seriously can’t imagine my life without them at this point.
3. How would it feel to be a stranger in a new place?
Hard. Alone. Alienated. Uncomfortable. Wild. Adventurous. Curious. Exciting. Obviously my emotions depend on the circumstances. But even in positive situations being a strangers can be awfully lonesome and difficult and uncomfortable. But in an effort to make a bad situation good you’d try to look for the adventure, the new things, the new comforts. Either way there’s a lot of adjustment that needs to happen and a lot of hard questions you need to ask yourself in order to get through it.
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