Perspective.

      I walk along the sidewalk of a busy street, walking by hundreds of people. It's mind boggling to think that these people all have a life, a story, a beginning and an end. That lady that just bumped into me rudely could be a single mother, struggling to feed her 3 children and just barely scraping by. That angry man with the road rage might have a wife that is fighting for her life in a cancer ward. Everyone has a different situation, and you don't know their story. I grew up in a loving family, but not everybody is as blessed as I am. So many kids grow up in households full of hate, struggle, anger, pain, and fighting. You can't judge someone before you know them, that would be completely unfair. That homeless man could have been thrown into debt after making a bad move on the stock market, worked hard to recover it all, but just couldn't. That prostitute could have fallen into a drug addiction after watching her parents die in a tragic car accident, using drugs to cope with her mounting pain. So much goes on that we don't know about or see. It's all about perspective.

      I flick on the tv to watch an episode of my favorite show, Rookie Blue. As I'm changing channels, I stop on the news for a minute or two. The news story is about Kim Kardashians failing marriage to Chris Humphries. How could something this stupid be newsworthy?! We fill our days obsessing about the lives of our favorite stars while children in 3rd world countries are starving. How could our world be so so upside down, so perverted? The media focuses on our celebrities, and spends its time chasing them when so many of our own kind are dying of HIV and AIDS every day. It's fully preventable, so why are so many dying? Why can't we find a solution to this ever growing problem? We need to shift our focus, and help our fellow man. We live excessively, waste our money on flashy cars, on chasing the proverbial "American Dream". Is it really a dream though? How can we live like this when so many of the worlds population live on less than a dollar a day. Seems kind of unfair to me. We can make a change in these peoples lives so easily. It would take barely any effort on our part, but make a world of a difference on their part. It's all about perspective.

      After spending a week away on a mission trip, my eyes are completely open to the incredible world around me. It's incredible to see how some people can give up their entire life to helping others. They are making a sacrifice on a grand scale, living selflessly. It's so inspiring to see others living this way.
It inspires me to do more with my life and to use the skills and passions God has given me for a greater purpose. Spending a week working with the UrbanPromise team was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. It's great to see how you can impact little lives so much. I urge you to break out of today's culture and bondage, and to open your eyes to this impact. There is so much out there, so much to be done, so much to be discovered. It's easy to live for ourselves and to stick to the status quo, but I urge you, go out and help. Find a local charity, and give your time. It doesn't have to be much. If everyone gave an hour a week, imagine what a change we could make! Lives would change, and with that the world would change. For the better. It's all about perspective.

Peace and Love
-C