Try to picture yourself-

with no money.  I really mean NO money. No cash in your wallet, no change in a jar in your home. No savings account, no checking account.  No debit card, no credit card, no cash.  No car, no bike. No food in your home, and no electricity.  No talktime, since you have no income to buy talktime cards ($1,000KW, $2,000, $5,000, 10,000, 20, 000 or 50,000$ amounts) To put that in perspective, a $50,000 KW card is roughly worth $10.  So, a $10,000 card is worth $1. There are very few home phones, talktime is for cellphones. With no money, you can’t take a bus to work or to find work, so you walk everywhere, with all your stuff on your back.  Or on your head. Or on your head and your back.  It is amazing how much women in Zambia can carry on their front side, back side, and head.  We have seen women with a baby on their back, a bucket or box of heavy things on their head, and carrying a heavy bag or two.  They make we Western folks look like such lightweights.

To get back to the point, though, can you imagine being so without that you would do any job anyone offered you, even if you disliked it, so that your family could pay their bills and eat?  I can’t imagine being that person, and yet, we are now surrounded with folks like that every day.

If you are anything like me, I have NEVER been in this position.  I have always had food, a car, gas, money for bills and food. Even when we were really in tremendously difficult straits, I was never this destitute.  In addition, I always had parents, and sisters, and friends who would have readily come to my aid if I had needed it.

The folks we’ve met here have nothing.  Everyone around them have nothing, so it seems normal. They can’t ask their families, neighbors, or church mercy funds for help, because everyone is in the same position. Everyone wears the same clothes every day.   We look incredibly rich. We change our clothes, and drive a vehicle. We take showers (a luxury).  We can pay our bills.  We have enough money to put electricity to work in our home.

Of course, I don’t tell you any of this to produce guilt in you, or anything other than to realize all that you have, and all that others don’t have.  And to thank God for all that YOU have been given.  What do you think God is calling you to do with the abundance you have been given?  None of the folks I’ve met act like they are ‘owed’ anything, but on the contrary, work hard, and are grateful for whatever is given to them, whether job, or small gift, or gift of food.  Of course, there are those who will take advantage, there will always be those, since we do have a sin nature, but for the most part, people here are hard-working and grateful.  Are you?