A EMPTY PLATE AND FULL STOMACH

In case you are jumping in late... I am blogging my journal entries from Africa. It starts with "Africa in a Nutshell" followed by the first journal entry on December 16th! I would love for you to read along. If you are, then please let me know by following me!     

December 22, 2011

I wanted to Record a story Dennis told us at dinner the other night....

At the time he left for college at Sandford University in the United States, Liberia was in the midst of the war. As I said before, this place was completely misplaced and still till this day is trying to rebuild itself. The war began with the rebels fighting the government; people killing their own people.

While Dennis was here for the war he saw people dropping like flies from starvation. The reason there is not many animals is because they ate them all. During this time, very young children walked around with guns-ready to kill, though they did not know why.

He specifically remembers right before he went to the states his friend being stuck in a swamp for a week, surrounded by gun fire. When he finally got out he found Dennis.

This man then took one sip of water and fell to the ground...dead....

When Dennis arrived to the states his aunt picked him up from the airport and took him somewhere to eat. He watched as she paid ten dollars for each of them, then he followed her to a bar of food. She would place a item of food on her plate, and he would follow, except where she put one...he put two. When he finally sat down his plate was overflowing, and people were staring. He ate the food with thanksgiving until his stomach was completely full and his plate completely empty.

He looked up, and his aunt said, "do you want more?" Dennis then responded,"no - I saw you pay ten for my meal....and I ate it." She explained he could eat as much as he wanted - they were at a buffet.

Tears began streaming down his face. He had just left a place where he watched his closest friend and so many others die from the lack of food, and here he was, offered a endless supply.

This puts things in perspective. It should make us thankful for what we have - it should also make us prayerful for those who go without. The thought of having so much while so many people have so little should also place tears in our eyes.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4:6