The vast gap between our daily lives and the reality of a lost world

In late 2011, a friend gave me the book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I signed up for her daily blog updates and each day I'm able to read it, I'm floored by her depth and insight into life and living abundantly. 

Read: Ann Voskamp's blog post (Aug 2, 2012) about the vast gap between our daily lives and the reality of a lost world. 

Here are some excerpts (from Ann Voskamp's August 2nd's post) that caught my attention and gripped my heart:

"But distance doesn't stop a man from being your neighbor - any more than moving down the street makes you lose your citizenship. When we name earth as our home address, don't we all become neighbors?"

"What did Christine Caine [of A21 Ministries: http://www.thea21campaign.org/] say that that girl had said? That beautiful girl who'd been sold into bondage and trafficked for pleasure, that girl, a survivor of rape and neglect and manslaughter, who looked right into Christine and said it with her heart running liquid right down her cheeks, "If you really cared about us - then why didn't you come sooner?"  

"Then why in the world didn't you come sooner?"

"How can we who are saved, who are resting on the wood and righteousness of that Cross, look at a whole world out there drowning in a veritable storm of darkness and just breathe this happy relief that we've been plucked out to safety? How have I been doing this for so long? ... Because I like the safety of teh Wood and the fluffed up life and isn't it enough to take care of my small little life and these half dozen kids and not do anything that hurts too much?"

- musings by Ann Voskamp

...............................................

Ann's words sting. 

Oh how they're true.

I'm being convicted that even though my daily life in South Africa is surrounded by desperate lives trying to find solace, I still carry on as if there's nothing more I can do. Sometimes I throw up my hands and want to quit because it's too hard. 

I spend myself dry, yet often never look to the source of us all. We must look at our daily worries, concerns ... even routine, and pair that with the ultimate goal of giving others the Hope of Jesus Christ that we so often neglect in our own lives. 

Are we willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel?

Are we complaining about material things and routinely working for the insignificant?

Are we prioritizing the Holy and eternal things in our day?

I hope Ann's blog post inspires you as much as it has me! I'd encourage you to read the entire post, as its full context bring great light to what's going on in the world today! [http://www.aholyexperience.com/]