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| Happy Choice 2005 Oscar is on the back row in the blue stipped shirt. You can see the old latrine in the background, behind the old hostel. Timoland is on the back row - red shirt with two white strips on his right shoulder. He was about 14 years old. Timoland graduated from secondary school in December and hopes to go to college and become a doctor. |
Father forgive me! I am the Rich Man.
http://youtu.be/hGr8as7pPBE - Give me Your eyes - Brandon Heath
Last night I woke up for just a moment with a thought running through my brain. Earlier in the evening
I was thinking about how wasteful I can be with the blessings God gives me. I took a moment to jot this down so it would be fresh in my mind as I went about my week. Maybe, just maybe, if I wrote it down, I'd be a little more aware of how much I waste money that could be used to help one of the children at Happy Choice orphanage in Kenya - or people in need anywhere for that matter.
This is what I wrote:
Can I cut my spending by $33.00 per month so that I can help provide a little
support for a sweet child who has been orphaned or abandoned? Am I willing
to sacrifice?
I've been noticing all the half full water bottles laying around the house and in
the car. I grap a bottle of water when I'm thirsty and then set it down. I move
to a different room of the house and get thirsty again. So, instead finding my half
full bottle of water, I get a new bottle and now I have two partially full bottles.
And I probably won't finish either one.
The crazy part? I have a water filter on my refrigerator, and I have this super
cool insulated glass that keeps drinks so cold the ice doesn't even melt when my
drink is left in the car and it's 100 degrees outside. How much could I save if I
just filled up my super cool glass with the filtered water from the frig instead of
opening a new bottle of water every time I want a drink? What would be the
reward if I did that? Maybe I could sponsor one the Happy Choice kiddos for
$33.00 per month, and they could have food and clothes and even go to school -
all because I filled up my glass from the refrigerator instead of opening a new
bottle of water.
It's not much. I mean, how much does a case of water cost now days? But what was weighing heavy on
my heart was the amount of money I waste on meaningless things all throughout the week/month. Just a
little sacrifice here and there and the money I save could make a difference to one of Oscar's kids.
My children and grandchildren crawl into bed at night into a warm comfortable bed with fluffy pillows and all the bankets and quilts they may need for a wonderful night's rest. What a blessing a warm safe place to sleep can be. I take that for granted so often. When is the last time I thanked God for my comfortable bed?
The children at Happy Choice need bedding. Right now, they sleep on mats with a few blankets that have to be shared. How would I feel if I had to put my children or grandchildren to bed on a mat when it was cold and all they had was a light blanket for cover?
I worry about matching comforter and pillow shams for my children.
Oscar just wants a bed with blankets and maybe a pillow. It's a different
world, I know, but honestly? Could this be right? I have so much. My children have so much. These kids - Oscar's kids have so little.
Could I be "the rich man"? Is Oscar my "Lazarus"?
I couldn't help but think of all the things I buy, all the things I own that aren't necessary. Oh, they're nice to have, and I really enjoy being able to have nice things that I really don't need. I don't think that makes me a selfish person, but when I know there's a need that I could easily fill with just a little sacrifice on my part, yet I turn away and wait for someone else to help, that's not what God wants from me.
I may not be "rich" by America's standards, but I am definitely blessed. I am the rich man. What is God requiring of me? Am I living up to all He wants me to do?
Jesus told his disciples as they went out to teach that when anyone helped them along the way, even if it was just by giving them a cold drink of water, that person would not lose their reward. Oscar is an evangelist. He tells everyone he meets about Jesus and how He has been so faithful in Oscar's life. Oscar cares for orphans - not just by giving them a bit of change and saying "go and be fed", but he brings them home and cares for them as long as they are willing to stay at Happy Choice. He and Emma become their family. But that's not all. Emma cares for the widows in her village. She helps provide food and other needs, but most importantly she teaches them about Jesus. Oscar and Emma are disciples of Christ, just like the apostles Jesus sent out to teach about the Messiah.
Am I giving these two disciples of Christ a cold drink of water?
Matthew 10:42 NIV
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Emma told me that her precious husband, Oscar, has been known to share his last change of clothes with someone who needed a shirt. He gives when he doesn't have it to give. Oscar needs help caring for these children who are not his by birth, but they have most definitely been placed in his care by God. How can I help? Would I give my last change of clothes?
When I first starting communicating with Emma and Oscar, they never asked for any help. They would tell me what all was being done in their village and what needed to be done for the children in their care, praising God for everything. They didn't beg for help. The didn't even ask for help. They never had a "woe is me" attitude. Instead, they would say, "God will provide. He is faithful."
Finally, Larry and I offered to help when Emma needed surgery to deliver her last baby. She did not ask, ever. When I found out how much she needed, we sent it. From that point on, I began asking them to tell me when they needed help, and then we'd do our best to get what they needed. Before long, I realized the needs were so great, Larry and I would not be able to provide all they needed. The hostel was run down and leaky and the children slept on a dirt or mud floor depending on the weather. The kitchen was unusable and it was very difficult for Emma to cook for all those kids with no kitchen. It's not exactly like here in the States where we can run and get fast food for our family if the oven breaks. The latrine was very dangerous and these little children were at risk every time they used the latrine. There was tuition, food, medical issues, the water was terrible - full of bacteria and deadly germs. How could Larry and I ever help with all these needs?
The problem from the beginning was that I thought Larry and I were the rescuers, the saviors for Oscar and Emma. I thought we were the providers. I was wrong.
God was showing me very clearly that I was not the Provider. He is. I can't do it on my own. He can and does. He broke my heart for this little ministry. He made me see how much they needed physically, and at the same time, He showed me how rich they were in spiritual blessings. He has taught me so many lessons through Oscar and Emma, and through all the generous people who have provided support for their work over the years. God is the Provider, and sometimes He gives those who are willing the great opportunity of being His hands and feet. Larry and I couldn't do it by ourselves, but God never intended for us to do it by ourselves. Part of my job in this ministry is to share Oscar's story with as many people as I can and then God does the rest. He touches hearts for this work, just as He touches hearts for all of His ministries. And when He calls His children to a ministry, we tend to think that we will bless that ministry with all our good works. But an amazing thing happens. The ministry He calls us to blesses us far more than we bless it.
The downside of getting involved in this work has been trying to stop listening to the Enemy when he tries to keep me quiet. He wants me to shut up and not tell people when Oscar needs help. I start feeling like I'm intruding, like I always have my hand out for Oscar. I almost dread recieving another email because I know Oscar's going to need something. And then I'll have to do something about it. I am not proud of that feeling.
It's definitely not from God.
But then I got to thinking about something Emma said a couple of years ago when Oscar was going through a very difficult time. He was feeling inadequate to care for the children. He left home and went to Nairobi. Emma was worried because she had not heard from him in a few days, and she'd never seen him so discouraged. She knew he feeling the overwhelming burden of caring for all the children with very little resources available to him. Oscar never gets that way. His faith has always been so strong, but at that point, he was down. During that time, Emma shared with me how hard it was for Oscar to ask me for help. She said he always felt so bad that he couldn't take care of the children on his own. He didn't want to burden me.
The enemy was working on Oscar making him feel bad about asking me for help, just like he was working on me - making me feel reluctant to share Oscar's needs with others. Our enemy is a schemer and he know exactly where to hit us. Fortunately, when Oscar was in Nairobi and saw all the homeless and abandoned children on the streets, God stirred his heart, and he began to teach those kids about His Friend Jesus. Oscar came back home and I have not seen that discouragement again.
I get discouraged and feel overwhelmed at the prospects of being part of this ministry for the rest of my life. I see unending needs - at least until we can help Oscar and Emma become self-sustaining through farming and other types of businesses they can do. And that is the plan Emma laid out long ago. But that plan takes investment and right now, we're just trying to keep the kids in school and food on the table and provide beds for them instead of those matts. So, I get discouraged. If I think about all they need, it becomes a burden. But then my phone rings or I have to go to the grocery store or some other "important" task I need to do distracts me, and I forget what Oscar and Emma are dealing with every single day. I can push their needs out of my mind for a while. They can't. They don't have the luxury of taking a little break from the worries, because when they take a break, kids go hungry.
I know some of you will get very tired of hearing about Oscar and Emma. I'm sorry. I know you have your own burdens and ministries and I don't want to take away from what you're doing already. I apologize and understand if you don't want to hear any more. But I have to tell people. Some will listen and pray. Some will listen and be drawn to pray and support financially. I just want you to know Oscar and Emma like I know them. I want you to see what I see - two people who have the most sincere hearts for Jesus and for the hurting. I want you to see your "Lazarus" when God puts him in your path. And unlike the rich man, maybe each of us will be moved to provide our own Lazarus with a cold drink of water.
Luke 16:19-31 NLT
The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Father, You have blessed me with the friendship of two precious people who have enriched my life and faith. I may not have much to offer them, but I can provide a cold drink. Please help me never to fail to give what I can give just because it doesn't seem like enough. Help me to be a better steward of the blessings You continually pour down on me. Help me to seek Your Kingdom first instead of getting caught up in the things of this world. Forgive me for turning my back on those in need when it becomes uncomfortable or when their needs seem too great. I know You are the Provider. I will trust in You. Lord, use me as You will. I don't to be like the rich man any more. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
http://youtu.be/gupoINLzeYQ - Every Man - Casting Crowns
Donations can be made for Happy Choice - Kenya at www.lostorphans.com .
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| top photo is some of the widows Emma helps with Michael and Zack of Lost Orphans standing in front of the new hostel built in 2011. The bottom photo is Oscar wand Emma with some of the children getting ready to cut the ribbons to the new kitchen! |
God Provides!
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