Every year the United Nations Women’s Guild awards funds to numerous charity projects throughout the world. They receive over 1000 applications and are able to help about 25 to 30 organizations with their requests. They have an awards ceremony where they update the audience with the projects that were completed during the previous year and announce the names of the current recipients. Representatives from the different organizations that are able to come receive a certificate in front of the audience.
This year as the different projects were being announced I noticed that a good number of them were for something that we take for granted. The children are in need of bathrooms! Over and over again, the need to build sanitary toilet facilities came up. As I sat there listening to the needs from around the world, I must admit that I teared up. They weren’t asking for toys or computers or TV sets. They were asking to replace a hole in the ground with a toilet. In my mind, this simple request is not a want, but a need. How can there still be children who don’t have their basic needs met? They don’t have enough food, or they can’t afford a basic education. They don’t have clean drinking water, and they don’t have a clean place to go to the bathroom.
While watching a recent US game show, 100 people were interviewed and asked “how much do you give each year to charity?” The most frequent answer was nothing! How can that be? How can so many of us sit in our comfortable homes, with adequate food, heat, and clothing when there are so many who are in need? The Bible tells us that “Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give,” and that “God loves a cheerful giver.” One of Mother Teresa’s favorite texts was something that Jesus taught and was cited by Matthew: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus cared about the needs of the poor and reminded His disciples that when we give to meet the needs of others, we are really giving to God.
Last week’s charity event was another reminder to be thankful for the abundance that God has given to me and that I need to be more generous in my giving to others. As long as there is a child that still needs a clean bathroom, there is always more that I can do.
Because of His Faithfulness,
Sharon Brobst, Ed.D.
Director