In the box

A couple of days ago I was at the Mi Esperanza center with the sewing class. It was the day after we unloaded a container of donations from the US and this large box was sitting outside the bodega. One of the sewing students got my attention and said (in spanish of course) "Can I have that box? I can use it as a new room on my house." I started laughing and said something silly kinda blowing her off, and then I realized that she was not kidding. My heart fell to the bottom of my stomach....

2 things:

I am really happy Mi Esperanza exists. I love being part of giving women an opportunity to change their circumstances and have the opportunity for long term change.

I really don't like the fact that this is reality for someone. As I right I am in my very comfortable home surrounded by all the stuff that makes it comfortable with space to spare. She however was looking at a box, as an expansion to her house. Shane Claiborne wrote "God did not make a mistake and create to many people and not enough stuff" and Ghandi penned the quote "There is enough in the world for everyone's need; there is not enough for everyone's greed."

I think this is it, no? We take far more for ourselves than we should, than is right. God created us to be in community with Him and with each other. His idea (if I may take the liberty) was for us to live looking out for each other. But instead we have become selfish and taken far more than our fair share and left others to flounder and live to merely survive.

I don't say this to make you or I feel guilty about who or what we are (but, maybe some of that is in order) but I do say it to say we can change that reality if we choose. We can make a difference in the life of someone, of many, if we choose to be less selfish, if we choose to change our mind set which says "all I gain and achieve is for me," but rather look to see where we can alleviate suffering and hunger in a world that is suffering.

Did you know that statistically 70% (ish) of what we buy is no longer in use 6 months after we buy it? Could we choose better, longer lasting ways to spend our resources, God's resources? That would have longer satisfaction?

This I know to be true.... something needs to change so that no ones reality says "a house expansion=a card board box."