The Plight of the Spoiled Shoe Shopper

Jake and Olivia both have a little cold so we were in the bathroom a bit ago while I doled out medicine for their coughs and runny noses. After taking his medicine, Jake said, "I'm thirsty Mommy. I'm thirsty for water!" I turned on the faucet and picked up his cup and filled it for him, all the while Livi was chiming in, "I'm thirsty, too! I want water, too!" I left the water running in the sink while I picked her cup up to fill it with water, too. I thought to myself that Jake has no idea what it means to be thirsty. Not really. Neither do I. Perhaps Olivia has known thirst and hunger, but if she has she was thankfully too little to remember it.

As they finished their water, I rinsed out the measuring spoon and returned the medicine bottle to the cabinet. I noticed how many other medicine bottles are in there. Something for colds and coughs - nighttime and daytime varieties, as well as medicines strictly for colds and then others strictly for coughs. Allergy medicines, Tylenol, Motrin, vitamins, sore throat spray, antiseptic and analgesic spray for cuts and burns, and a box of Barbie band-aids. (Jake's Diego band-aids are in the kids' bathroom.)

We came down to the living room and I sat down on the couch to get ready for lullabies where my sweet babies climb up into my lap for their two bedtime songs. I look over to the door and from where I'm sitting I can count 7 - that's SEVEN - pairs of Jake's shoes that are on the shoe rack by the back door. Olivia has four pairs there, and an entire drawer full in her room. I would estimate she probably has about 25 pairs of shoes in all. Jake has more shoes in his room as well.

I look across the room and there's a soft, fuzzy throw blanket and two pillows sitting in the chair. I notice the lamp on the table by the window. All we have to do is pull the pretty silver chain and the light pops on.

All of this took place within a matter of minutes. My eyes were welling up with tears. I wonder how many people would give anything for my blanket and pillows, or perhaps a drink of water from my bathroom sink. How many would give anything for medicine for their child or a pair of shoes for their feet? Many would say we are spoiled, and we are. God has blessed us. I don't understand why we have running water, electricity, medicine and money to buy the things we need. I don't know why we have more than so many others in this world. I'm sure I don't love my children anymore than a mother in Darfur or Vietnam or North Korea loves her own.

I don't know what to do to fix the world. I can't fly to Darfur and take $1000 to a homeless refugee family. What are we supposed to do, really? Sponsor a child? Well, I adopted one. Does that make me holier than thou? A great big NO. Is my work done? Absolutely not. So what do I do? Put my spare pennies in the jar at the bank to help one community in Africa have fresh water? Honestly - pennies? The whole community is going to have fresh water because of pennies collected at my bank? Is that really possible?

I have no amazing ending to this post. I wish I could tell you I've come up with the perfect plan. That I've figured out how to save the world! The fact is, there is no perfect plan. We can't save this world. It's doomed. It's in the Bible, you can check it out. What I would like to do is just pray like crazy for Jesus to come back today and rapture me and my beautiful family into heaven and away from this sad world. That would be WONDERFUL!!! It doesn't fix the problems in Darfur or Vietnam or North Korea (or the 100's of other poverty stricken places in the world.) Most of those people aren't saved. It's my job to spread the word of God to them, but I'm apparently too busy buying shoes for my children to do that.

Nope, no amazing ending here. Just depressed about the state of this world, the people suffering and the fact that I feel helpless to do anything for them. I can do all I know to do though. I can pray for them and I can take care of my own sweet family and try to raise children who will go into the world and preach and teach the gospel to others.

Oh, and I can go shoe shopping. Does anyone else feel like the most spoiled person in the world?