Yesterday I was with some friends, shopping around in the "swanky" Hillsboro village. We hopped from store to store, looking for things to enhance our appearance. With the right clothing, you can be whomever you want to be. I walked into Urban Outfitters and I became disgusted. All of the clothing, jewelry, everything in every store we went to- it was all the same. I just felt so "blah."
After that, I went to my friend Diko's house. She fled a conflict in southern Sudan. After taking "refuge" in Uganda and Kenya, she finally made it to Nashville, where she has been living for about 8 years. While there, I heard stories of suffering and triumph, of pain and God's deliverance and provision. As I was sitting there with Diko, her four precious children, and a man named Tom from northern Uganda, I had a reckoning moment of sorts. I realized that I had become alive, because at that moment, I was in God's presence. I was close to His heart. How often do do these things to "enter into God's presence"- extravagant worship concerts, whatever, when God has made it clear to us where His heart is, and what He blesses? Read Isaiah 58:
"6 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Quite a promise, huh? Diko told me about how she saved a woman's life who was in danger of dying in childbirth by sending $50 to Sudan to pay for the costs of delivering the baby. $50 in America might buy a pair of tennis shoes, a tanning package, hair highlights, or one night of eating out with your family. These things have never before been so real to me. I hate the disconnect between the fortunate and the suffering, those who rot in things and those who need food to survive. Which will we choose? Life or death, literal and spiritual?
If guilt means "bad conscience over responsibility," as it says in the dictionary, then let your guilt turn into something beautiful, into LOVE IN ACTION, which is the only kind of love, the only option.

Could this be any clearer?

16By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
-1 John 3:16-18

I am so unworthy.

It is always a blessing to know that God is using us in ways we don't even realize. My wonderful friend Callie sent me this message: "Seriously, you challenged me so much this year to realize that it's not okay to sit back on the sidelines and watch. I think He has really used you to try and break down apathy on our campus and in the lives of those around you."
THANK YOU GOD.
It's not me.

OPRAH TO THE RESCUE.

About 300 people have been waiting to be rescued all week. This morning they did a coreographed dance in front of Oprah's studio. She saw them, pulled aside the filmmakers, and told them she was going to come to their RESCUE by putting them on her show TODAY!! She is modifying the whole course of her show for these guys! Some of my friends are there now. I wish I could have, but I had an exam this morning. She is one of the most (if not THE MOST) influential women in the world. This is incredible. And I get to work for them, the most incredible organization in existence (I'm not just saying that. If you knew more, you would think the same thing) THIS SUMMER!

Make sure to follow the event on nightof.therescue.invisiblechildren.com
DONT SLEEP THROUGH A REVOLUTION.