I woke up this morning a little sore. My neck was a little tight, my hips were a little achy. And I immediately thought, 4 days left…
But for people like Sylvie, there is no end.
A few friends and I took on a challenge put forth by World Vision ACT:S:
Spend lent digging deep into stories of poverty and injustice and through that, into the heart of God. Each week we will encounter a new story of someone living a life marked by poverty or injustice or both. As we get to know their stories, we are challenged to go deeper than simply reading. We are challenged to respond.
This is week one. Our story (you can read the full text here)
brings us to the Congo where we enter into the life of Sylvie Ngandwe, a 38 year old woman, and her three precious children who spend their days sifting rocks in hopes of putting food on the table. Barely surviving on a little over $2 a day, Sylvie is just one of many stories bred from a life of poverty. Yet this week, we focus on her and through that are studying the idea of worth. What does it mean to be worthless? To be full of worth? Where do we get our worth? In addition to a daily study on this topic, we were given a challenge for the week.
Go without something physical.
World Vision offered several ideas and I spent some time coming up with several reasons why I could skip this week as I have already given up several luxuries by moving to a small island. But then it hit me.
Give up my bed.
Sleep on the floor for a week and enter into the lives of those, like Sylvie, that have never had the luxury of a bed.
I ate my breakfast this morning in silence while tears welled up in my eyes. My heart was heavy at the thought that in four days I will go back to sleeping in my bed, while Sylvie will go on sifting rocks. She is changing me. Her story is opening my heart once again to the suffering. This time I will embrace it. This time it will change me.
I ate my breakfast this morning in silence while tears welled up in my eyes. My heart was heavy at the thought that in four days I will go back to sleeping in my bed, while Sylvie will go on sifting rocks. She is changing me. Her story is opening my heart once again to the suffering. This time I will embrace it. This time it will change me.
