Of Sun, Sand, and Sweat
“Blessed be your name, when the sun’s shining down on me, when the world’s all as it should be, blessed be Your name.”By the time I was finally able to pull off my bright yellow “Croc” shoes, I couldn’t decide if there was more dirt on my feet or in my lungs. I hoped it was on the outside, while fearing the dust 10,000 feet kicked up in the hours of the day was settling somewhere in my respiratory system.
The morning started early, and we were warned it would be a long day. Our one “big” (1500) distribution turned out to be BIGGER and take longer. Then our one “small” distribution (300) turned out to be four spread out across the HO area, with over 300 each.
Load up, unload, set up, stir up (hearts that is), line up, mark up, pass out (the boxes) and start over back down the next road.
Unusual for the season, last night it rained! The weather cooled by about ten degrees and we were able to find some semblance of shade at most of the locations where the school children had gathered. Today, HO was not that hot. Praise God!
In the movie “Blood Diamond”, there is an exchange between two of the characters resulting in confrontation. One assured the other he was leaving Africa; the other laughed and said “the red dirt of Africa is in your blood, you will never leave.” The movie’s protagonist dies clutching the dirt, it slips through his fingers mingled with the blood pouring from his fatal wound.
As I walked, worked and breathed among the Africans – the scripted words echoed in my soul. Africa DOES get in your blood. I suppose one way or the other. Africa should be in our blood, one way or the other.
We are reminded often in the Word we are ONE body in Christ. “If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, AND in the healing!” (1 Corinthians 12:26) Paul, explains the concept of one body just before he tells us the “better way” of love.
As we travel from location to location, down the market places, through the humanity, the poverty, the need, we see a world our “fallen” or “broken” Christian catchphrases can’t begin to describe. This is not “Africa” hurting, or suffering, or dying. This is YOU and ME, members of His body, dying, suffering and hurting for failing our brothers and sisters in Africa.
