I Deserve it....

You deserve it.....
how many times a day do you hear that? you deserve new furniture, more food or your food made exactly the way you want it...and don't forget fast. no need to wait or even use that one room in the house?! I deserve my house, my car(s), cabinets full of food, a room full of toys for my children, oh when you mention children, healthy, happy, growing, and obedient; great neighbors, good schools, caring family, a job, at least one tv, a refrigerator, 3+ sinks, a backyard, a garage, a computer, cable, internet, a good church, great friends, clothes, a walk in closet to hold those clothes...ok I think you get it. Over the past few months its been blatantly obvious how abundant my life here is and it is because I was born in the United States....sure there is homeless, hungry, struggling people within a one mile radius of my house but I can still avoid it if I choose to.


Marketers have some how convinced us that these things are privileges things we are owed. Whether we see it on billboards on the way to the store, or at night when we are watching TV and we have seen commercials about having "more, more, more" at least 20 times in a one hour show. Its no wonder our homes are full of stuff and when we can its new or fresh because that's the best...I mean after all we deserve it. right?! What about all those people around the world who don't even have clean water. clean water now that is a basic human right, but most people don't have it...780 million people worldwide lack access to clean water...that's 1 in 9 people...get this I know more than 9 people that have clean water...its so easy to forget this simple yet crucial resource that I have in abundance.


As I was standing in my climate controlled kitchen making dinner with a fresh tomato, and bell pepper that I had the privilege of running to the grocery store last night to just because we wanted some pasta salad. I thought about my friends at the life shelter who have children that they can't provide for. They don't get the fresh food that I have the luxury of keeping in stock in my fridge. My boys LOVE fresh fruits and veggies. These parents despite their deep desire to provide that can't. Don't they deserve to be able to go to the store and buy fruit, fresh fruit, and vegetables and store them in their fridge at home, a place where they can always return to at the end of the day?! These parents, these people just want to provide or have that safe place to call theirs. Don't we all deserve that?!


If it was a perfect world yes, if we were still in Eden, yes, but the truth is...


We don't deserve it...we don't deserve...anything but death.


In Romans it tells us that the wages or the cost of my sin of just me living/being born is death. So that is what I deserve...that is what we all deserve. It doesn't matter how good of a person you are, what you do for a living, the color of your skin, where you were born or who you were born to. We are all born sinners...


pretty sad huh...the great thing is our story doesn't end there. Because of Jesus we get so much more than we deserve. That is why we MUST go out and make a difference, that's why we cannot avoid those who are down and out. My heart breaks for them. yes, I'm sure they have made bad choices, addictions etc. but haven't we all?! Sure if you know my story my addictions are shopping, caffeine and sugar...they wont kill me, they wont really even hurt me, but we all have struggles. That's what makes us human.


we are called to love one another, go sit, eat, serve those close to you, that are down and out. They are just like you


1 Corinthians 13: 3-8


If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects , always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.


John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that who so ever believes in him shall have eternal life.


Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord


As some friends and I go forth in our Jesus story and reach out to those in our community in some pretty awesome ways, that God is opening up (some pretty awesome God Stories to come) Please pray that we contact those we are supposed to and that God will continue to open doors and bless this ministry that he has called us to! I cannot wait to share it with you. Go in peace, love and hope that in Jesus we don't get what we deserve because who really wants what we actually deserve?