Subjectively Rich

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Most of the time, I look past the obvious lack and relate to the person in front of me as simply another person - someone surely loved by God, with unique qualities that are especially pleasing to Him. And I, too, find some of those admirable qualities and thoroughly enjoy the interactions. But occasionally, empathy for an individual's circumstances catches me off guard, and I leave the exchange with strong feelings and oh so many questions.

Jesus told his disciples a story (it's found in Luke 16:19-31) about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. This story grounds me, reminding me that things are not always as they appear. After they both die, Abraham addresses the rich man in his torment, saying, "...Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here..."

I find both comfort and warning in this verse.

• The circumstances of this life are not forever. Suffering will one day end, and those who have suffered will be comforted - that will be an eternal state of being.

• Stay on guard. Never assume you have it made. ("Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." - 1 Corinthians 10:12)

None of us choose when or where to be born. We don't choose our race, the economic status of our mothers, or if we even have a mother and father to raise us. ALL of us have circumstances of life to deal with. Some are of our own making, but many are not.

It used to bother me so much that everyone in Haiti assumed I was (monetarily) rich simply because I was American. I finally realized the term "rich" is very subjective. To many of us, owning a car or a house would mean we are rich. To others, owning multiple yachts, homes, skyscrapers, sports teams, and such is a sign of being rich. To yet others, we would consider feeding and clothing our children well to be wealthy. (And, of course, that's only until we attain that position, and then it no longer satisfies.)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." 1Timothy 6:6-8

I do have more than food and clothing, so to some, I truly am rich. Others would consider me poor. The reality is it doesn't matter what anyone thinks of my station in life. I am not called to keep up with the Jones', nor to rule over the poor. At the end of the day, I am accountable to God Almighty for how I have used this life. I don't want to simply forget to consider what HE will have to say.

So, I consider verses like those found at the end of 1 Timothy, remembering that "rich" is subjective and knowing full well that I am considered rich outside of America.

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Lex finished his time in Haiti this past week by meeting with staff members and installing new equipment.

The new dental chair is a tremendous blessing!!! The staff is thrilled, and the patients are cared for more efficiently.

MOHI has been blessed with many caring and hard-working individuals on our team.

Refugees come from many backgrounds. Today in Grand-Goâve, there are many refugees who have fled the violence in Port-au-Prince. They need our help. Some of them were people of means until they lost everything to the gangs - cars, homes, clothing, furnishings, jobs - everything. The incredible people who support this mission have enabled us to take moms and babies into our START NOW Early Childhood Intervention programs. Hats off to each of you!!!

The expansion of the START NOW program in the Dominican Republic now includes babies and toddlers in MOHI's "hometown" of Luperón, in addition to Baraguana and La Grúa.

Our friends Jonathan and Letitia from Against Global Hunger (Muskogee, OK) visited us for several days this past week. We enjoyed sharing "our" part of the island with them. They, along with Misha and Eli (Bernard & Marlouse's daughters) assisted Nurse Marlouse in Cambiaso Thursday.

Letitia also taught the girls how to use the puppets, which didn't take long at all. On Friday, the girls helped out with the student feeding program in La Grúa. They gave their all!

This picture captures a bit of Haitian culture. Even though this little fella had already eaten, the older boy shared his rice with him. It's unusual for Haitians to eat a plate of food by themselves.

I have shared a portion of the wonderful things happening at Mission of Hope International this past week. None of this happens because of one or two people. All of this is the result of each of us doing a part - each of us looking beyond ourselves and choosing to make a difference in this life. Thank you!!!