Worlds Apart

J and I had our ROOF training this afternoon at church. For those of you who don't know what ROOF is, it stands for: Reaching Our Outdoor Friends - an organization that comes alongside homeless youth in the Waterloo region, giving them essential services to maintain a somewhat "regular" day-to-day life. Here's their link: http://www.roof-agency.net/

I came home, very overwhelmed, realizing how completely unequipped I am for such a daunting task. Not only does my mind not comprehend how some young people have such horrific backgrounds, but I can barely fathom the idea of living day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, moment-by-moment with the uncertainty that must plague these young people. My eyes are opened to how utterly naive I am.

I grew up in a solid family. My parents are still together, and still love one another. Neither of them have either molested or abused me. I've had consistency in my life. I never doubted whether or not I would come home, have dinner, go to sleep in a warm bed,  or know that I was loved by my family members. In fact, I'm ashamed to admit how often I have taken those most essential building blocks for granted. Instead, I would complain about the paint colour in my bedroom, sigh over the fact that Mum made supper with spinach...AGAIN, bemoan the fact that my brother had the comfier mattress, and argue with my parents over curfew.

http://www.roof-agency.net/roofpress/?p=92

Which brings me to the looming question: How in the world will I ever relate to these people, when my most earth-shattering annoyances are likely grievances they desire to have the option to grumble about? How is it possible to even bridge the gap between my world and their world? What hope can I possibly give them, when I've never lived in a world of hopelessness?  It is here that I am reminded of the prayer of Jabez: 1 Chronicles 4:10 "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!'"

So often as Christians, it's easy to stay within our own little bubble, where we feel safe. The idea of stepping out of our comfort zones, or enlarging our territories, to reach out to those who are less fortunate is often shrugged off, passing that duty along to the missionaries. My experience, growing up in Christian circles, is that it's much easier to shove money at "problems" out there in the world, rather than doing something. Don't get me wrong, so many of these reputable organizations need money to continue doing the work they do. However, without the hands, the visions, the work ethics of those "money-shovers," the "problems" are never truly solved.

Basically, it doesn't matter that I don't have the same experiences to relate to these youth. It's immaterial that my world and their world are separated by millions of light years. What matters is that my territory is expanding, my limits are being stretched, my hands are being used and most importantly, that God is calling us all to that purpose.