Alright, so I know I said that my last post was going to be the last one before I left, but something awesome happened, so I had to post and tell you all about it.
Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Wachovia in Leland to get cash for me to take on the trip. I asked the teller for bills printed in the year 2002 or newer, since we were instructed that when we exchange our money in Nairobi they won't accept old bills.
She asked why I needed them to be printed within those dates, so I told her I was going to Kenya. She asked what part I was going to, and when I replied, "Nakuru--it's a little nothwest..." she cut me off before I could finish and said "Yeah, I've been there!" "You're kidding!" I said. She then went on to tell me she was living with a missionary family over there, how long she was there for, etc. I couldn't believe in the middle of nowhereville Leland that I ran into a bank teller who had already been to the part of Kenya where I was going. She continued talking, and told us about how she got very sick while she was over there, but God protected her and she made it through.
God, you are way awesome. You knew exactly what bank I was going to, exactly which line I was going to stand in, and exactly which teller was going to assist us. You put her there, and you put me there in the same place, and the same time, to share one amazing story, one common thread, and one real belief that God is an amazing God.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Foreignness of Forgiveness
The human capacity to destroy never ceases to amaze me.
On December 4th, in Horry County, SC a baby boy was discovered laying dead on the side of a road by a County utility worker. The coroner estimated that the baby was, at most, only a few days old.
Imagine it.
A mother, taking her newborn baby, button him up in a onesie and coat, and loading him in the car. Knowing where she was going. Having thoroughly thought through where she was going to stop her car. Get out. Take her son into her arms. Walk several steps away from the car. Lay her baby boy in a roadside ditch. Turn her back. Walk away. Get in the car. Put it in drive. And watch the distance grow, and grow, and grow in the rear view mirror as she drove away from the human life she created.
The human capacity to destroy never ceases to amaze me.
The human capacity to love never ceases to amaze me.
On December 4th, in Horry County, SC a baby boy was discovered laying dead on the side of a road by a County utility worker. One utility worker found a child, and an entire community felt the loss.
Several community members heard of Baby Horry, and though the child never experienced love in life, they wanted to ensure a symbol of love to surround his death. So one community member stepped forward and donated a coffin. Another made sure to order a beatiful spray for the cemetary site. Dozens of people- strangers- came forward to donate items toward the funeral. Dozens of people- strangers- attended the funeral. A woman called the local flower shop to order flowers for the gravesite. When the shop owner asked if she wanted a card attached, since no one would be there to accept the card, she replied, "Yes, write a card, and let it say 'I would have loved you.'"
The human capacity to love never ceases to amaze me.
How easy it is for us to think well of the woman who would have loved a child whom she never met. How amazingly easy it is for us to judge the woman who left that child behind. To think her a monster. To say "I would never_____," or "How could she?". It is so easy for us to love those who love. And easier to hate those who destroy.
Here is the difficult part...
We are called to love them both. Equally. Without judgement. We are called to love the strangers who outpoured generosity upon a baby they didn't know. But we are especially called to love the mother, who could not lover her child. God doesn't say, "Love eachother...except for the murderers, thieves, drug addicts, liars, abusers, and pedophiles." He calls us to love each other, as He loves us. Love each other. Love EACH other. Each. Every.
We are called to love this mother, because of the actions of a Father, and because of the actions of a young mother, several years ago. Who had a child of her own. A baby boy. Whom she dressed, and laid not in a ditch on the side of the road, but in a manger. In a feeding trough of a barn, she laid down her new baby boy. This mother, much like that which abandoned the child in Horry County, was probably scared, and unasure, and without the resources to raise a child.
That child, brought into the world in less than glamorous settings, would go on to teach humanity exactly what love looks like. Love looks like pain. Love looks upon the sin of this world, and acknowledges the worth of the sinner, and forgives the sin. That child became a man who saved the world. The ENTIRE world...not just the "good" people of the world. He would have saved the world if there only existed one baby boy to save. He would have saved the world if there only existed one scared mother to save. He would have saved the world if there only existed you. He would have saved the world if there only existed me.
So who am I, to hear about a murdered child, and condemn the mother? Who am I to judge? Who am I to say, "I could never forgive her".
I'll tell you who I am.
I am the mother of the abandoned boy. And so are you. We are all that mother. We are all undeserving. We are all drowning in our need for grace. We would all suffocate without Christ's forgiveness. Our sins are no more worse than her's. Our need to repent is no less than her's. Our desperation for salvation is equal.
Christmas is upon us. The season to remember Christ's birth is upon us. My hope is that you will also remember Christ's death. The death of a man, who came as a child, to save humanity. The birth of freedom. The death of condemnation.
On December 4th, in Horry County, SC a baby boy was discovered laying dead on the side of a road by a County utility worker. The coroner estimated that the baby was, at most, only a few days old.
Imagine it.
A mother, taking her newborn baby, button him up in a onesie and coat, and loading him in the car. Knowing where she was going. Having thoroughly thought through where she was going to stop her car. Get out. Take her son into her arms. Walk several steps away from the car. Lay her baby boy in a roadside ditch. Turn her back. Walk away. Get in the car. Put it in drive. And watch the distance grow, and grow, and grow in the rear view mirror as she drove away from the human life she created.
The human capacity to destroy never ceases to amaze me.
The human capacity to love never ceases to amaze me.
On December 4th, in Horry County, SC a baby boy was discovered laying dead on the side of a road by a County utility worker. One utility worker found a child, and an entire community felt the loss.
Several community members heard of Baby Horry, and though the child never experienced love in life, they wanted to ensure a symbol of love to surround his death. So one community member stepped forward and donated a coffin. Another made sure to order a beatiful spray for the cemetary site. Dozens of people- strangers- came forward to donate items toward the funeral. Dozens of people- strangers- attended the funeral. A woman called the local flower shop to order flowers for the gravesite. When the shop owner asked if she wanted a card attached, since no one would be there to accept the card, she replied, "Yes, write a card, and let it say 'I would have loved you.'"
The human capacity to love never ceases to amaze me.
How easy it is for us to think well of the woman who would have loved a child whom she never met. How amazingly easy it is for us to judge the woman who left that child behind. To think her a monster. To say "I would never_____," or "How could she?". It is so easy for us to love those who love. And easier to hate those who destroy.
Here is the difficult part...
We are called to love them both. Equally. Without judgement. We are called to love the strangers who outpoured generosity upon a baby they didn't know. But we are especially called to love the mother, who could not lover her child. God doesn't say, "Love eachother...except for the murderers, thieves, drug addicts, liars, abusers, and pedophiles." He calls us to love each other, as He loves us. Love each other. Love EACH other. Each. Every.
We are called to love this mother, because of the actions of a Father, and because of the actions of a young mother, several years ago. Who had a child of her own. A baby boy. Whom she dressed, and laid not in a ditch on the side of the road, but in a manger. In a feeding trough of a barn, she laid down her new baby boy. This mother, much like that which abandoned the child in Horry County, was probably scared, and unasure, and without the resources to raise a child.
That child, brought into the world in less than glamorous settings, would go on to teach humanity exactly what love looks like. Love looks like pain. Love looks upon the sin of this world, and acknowledges the worth of the sinner, and forgives the sin. That child became a man who saved the world. The ENTIRE world...not just the "good" people of the world. He would have saved the world if there only existed one baby boy to save. He would have saved the world if there only existed one scared mother to save. He would have saved the world if there only existed you. He would have saved the world if there only existed me.
So who am I, to hear about a murdered child, and condemn the mother? Who am I to judge? Who am I to say, "I could never forgive her".
I'll tell you who I am.
I am the mother of the abandoned boy. And so are you. We are all that mother. We are all undeserving. We are all drowning in our need for grace. We would all suffocate without Christ's forgiveness. Our sins are no more worse than her's. Our need to repent is no less than her's. Our desperation for salvation is equal.
Christmas is upon us. The season to remember Christ's birth is upon us. My hope is that you will also remember Christ's death. The death of a man, who came as a child, to save humanity. The birth of freedom. The death of condemnation.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bling Bling, but for a good cause...
Well, I had a Dandy Designs jewelry show on December 6th, and it went SO well!
I had really been stressing myself out the past month, making oodles and oodles of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and wine charms to try and get ready for the show. But once again, God is awesome, and lots of people came out and bought stuff. My friend Morgan and my mom were nice enough to help me out as my Sales Associates, so big thanks to them!
All of the proceeds from the show are going toward my Kenya trip, so now my goal is 100% met. God is AWESOME!
I even have a tiny bit of money left over from fundraising to take care of a few incidentals, like bug spray, sunscreen, bandanas, etc. that I need to buy before I leave.
Thanks so much to everyone who made it out to the show. Hope you all had a good time, and thanks for supporting my little side-business of Dandy Designs, and through that, supporting my trip to Kenya.
Here are some pics from the show...
Monday, December 8, 2008
C'mon, Who Doesn't Love Animal Crackers and Juice?
So, today was the big day. Getting ALL of my shots over with in order to be ready for Kenya. I had some info printed off from the CDC's website, detailing what shots were recommended for a trip to Kenya, so I pretty much knew what to expect once I got there. I think that helped me out a lot, because I could prep myself for the mass amounts of sharp objects that were about to be stuck in me, one by burning one.
The staff there were really nice, and wanted to hear all about the trip, which was very cool. I love talking about the trip with people...you can see them get excited as they have questions, and they want to know what we'll be doing, where we'll be going, how long, what about this, what about that kind of thing.
The staff there were really nice, and wanted to hear all about the trip, which was very cool. I love talking about the trip with people...you can see them get excited as they have questions, and they want to know what we'll be doing, where we'll be going, how long, what about this, what about that kind of thing. Matt was my nurse for the day. Very nice. Lots of tattoos, which you know I love. I asked if I could have my shots in the hip, or in the butt, or something, but that request was denied. Something about immunizations needing to go in the deltoid muscle blah blah blah. Oh well....thought I'd give it a shot.
We had gone through the list together, and he helped me decide what I'd be getting...
Yyyyyeah, you counted correctly. Five----5 big ones. All at one visit. I was not super-stoked. But, whatever, you do what you have to do.
I tried not to watch him while he was filling up the different syringes. I don't love needles, but I don't hate them like some people. I've been in the hospital enough to have been used to them by now. But still....five at one time is a lot.
He was very cool, and kept me talking while he injected me, which was an awesome distraction tactic. I got 3 in one arm, and 2 in the other. Three of them were okay, but two of them stung like firewater-acid-hell's flames-bee sting juice in my veins. Uncool.
We finished, and he was just complimenting me on how well I took it, and then all the color washed from my face. (Which isn't much, I know, since I am super super pale.) He had me prop my feet up, and then he got me a juice box and some animal crackers.
Man, I forgot how awesome a snack combination that is---juice box and animal crackers!! Right on!
And suddenly I feel like a kindergarten kid again...juice box and animal crackers in hand, Tweety Bird Band-Aids covering my boo-boos, and an adult there to tell me that everything will be okay.
While I was regaining my senses, he taked to me about my options for anti-malarials. There are a few brands that are ineffective against Kenyan strains of malaria, so those were off the list. Also, one brand really gives people very vivid nightmares, so they don't even give that out at the clinic anymore. But there were two plausible options. Both are equally effective. One of them is $0.25 per pill, and you take it two days before you leave, and you continue to take it 28 days after you get back. Orrrr, you can choose the other one, which is $5.00 a pill, but you only have to take it for a week once you get back.
Ummm, as much as I would love to be over and done with the pills a week after we get back, my wallet begged to differ. So I went for the 28 day pills, for a grand total of $11, which is a-okay with me. (Stay tuned 28 days after I get back....who knows, I may turn into a zombie or something!)
On the plus side of all of these needles, I am now officially an X-Men. I mean, c'mon, I am now immune to ANY kind of virus pretty much, and that has to buy me X-Men status. My Awesome Friend Rob (that's his official title) drew a preliminary of me as a super hero...pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. (Psh, don't I wish my body was that slammin'!)
So, with my fresh X-Men status, and my freshly beefed up immune system, I am now 18 days away from embarking on the trip.
My goal for this week is to buy all the little odds and ends I'll need over there that I haven't gotten yet...hardcore bugspray, serious SPF lotion, a little alarm clock, a mini-med kit, passport holder, and a few other things.
Okay, I need to stop typing. I feel like I've done 1,000 push ups this morning, and my arms are about to fall off.
Thanks for listening, and if you know where I can get a passport holder, let me know!
- Andy
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