A Lesson In The City

Bound and determined to get out and about, Sophia, Edison, and I hurriedly finished our breakfast, and after much scampering about looking for shoes, hats, and keys, we boarded a bus for downtown.

You see, when Dustin is in the mountains for a whole week with the truck, we don't get out much. Maybe that's my fault; it's kind of nerve-wracking shuffling two energetic little children on and off of buses, so I often find it easier just to do walks to the local parks.

But necessity is the mother of courage too, and needing some thread to do some much-needed mending, we set out.

Our first stop was to admire the beautiful Alerce church in the plaza. I pointed out the angels, the carving of Jesus, and the cross on the high steeple. In toddlerese I tried to tie-in what all the symbols meant, while restraining Sophia from terrorizing the pigeons. Onward to the post office where we sent off some thank-yous and cards while Sophia coquettishly waved at each person within eye contact and Edison yelled "CA CA CA CA GA GA LA!" as he stared at a poster featuring a bright mail truck. He's learning the word "car", go figure with a Nascar dad; unfortunately "caca" is the spanish word for, well, poo. I didn't blush too badly.

Roving about to find the elusive yarn store, we came across a man lying face down on the ground. At first glance I thought he was a drunk, passed out on the sidewalk. Looking further I saw that his hand was extended forward, grasping a little cardboard box with a few pesos in it. I was confused at this manner of begging until I saw his legs, or lack of them really. They ended mid-thigh. I don't know if this was the only comfortable position for him or it was more effective in eliciting sympathy, but the scene captured my attention. Around him cheerful, well-dressed professionals, yacking into cell phones or just striding importantly, walked right by him. What a strange world we have.

I gave Sophia some money and together we walked to the man. Sophia put the coins in the box and tried to smile at him, but it was very hard for him to lift up his head. I asked her if she wanted to pray for him, and she did. He looked up then, with a touched expression and a murmered "gracias".

Our outing continued, subdued but steadily joyful. Sophia kept bringing up the "sad man with no legs", and we'd pray for him again. After supper that night, I was holding and drying Sophia from her bath, when she brought him up again: "Mommy, Jesus will help that man with no legs?"
"Yes, Sophia, Jesus will help him."
"And Sophie help him too? And Mommy, and Daddy, and Edison, and Sophie?"

Yes, it's our job. We cannot become calloused to the suffering, the real suffering, of others. Our first step is to stop complaining. Are you reading this on your own computer? You are wealthy. Did you eat today? You are blessed. Do you know Christ as Saviour? You have riches beyond number. We cannot allow the magnitude of suffering is this world to numb us; to keep us locked in complacency. Do what you can; do more than you want to.

Did you know that for $250.00 a child with cleft palate can smile for the first time and live a normal life? (SmileTrain website) Did you know you can support an AIDS orphan in sub-saharan Africa for $12 a month, providing healthcare and schooling? (AIDS orphans website) We can change the world, we're called to.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:14-16