Nothing But a Thief.

This morning I had two skirts to choose from. After tomorrow, the options will be all dirty clothes. Not the end of the world? Yes, I agree. 

Someone stole my clothes. Not just my clothes, but the clothes of everyone who lives in my house. They somehow managed to take all of them off the clothesline without anyone seeing them. Unfortunately, I was washing almost all of my clothes (and things that go under clothes) at the time. At first, I had a kind of "it is whatever" mentality. Then I became mad. Then I became sad. 

Mad: 

I am so mad that I don't have clothes. I am mad that money doesn't fall from trees and I can't just go buy new ones. I am mad that I can't fly home to America and go shopping at Gap to replace all my skirts. I am mad that most of those clothes I just bought, and now will never get to wear. I am mad that someone is corrupt enough to come and steal. I am mad that I can't feel safe at my own house. 

Sad: 

I am sad that I am sad about the loss of clothes. I am sad about the realization of how hard it is not to be materialistic, no matter what part of the world you live in. 

I am sad that I still own more clothes than a large population of this city. I am sad that while I still have three pairs of shoes to choose from each morning, I know over one hundred boys who don't have any at all.  (Did you realize that there are approximately 10,000 street children in Uganda?)

I am sad that stealing is a means of survival. I am sad that I had to tell a group of boys the other day that God calls us to follow him and obey Him even when it is hard, meaning they shouldn't steal even when it means that they will not eat that day. I am sad that the person who stole my clothes (I am pretty certain) sold my clothes and probably desperately needed the money he received from them.

I am sad that a justice system doesn't exist here. I am sad that the police nor the government do or honestly can do anything about the vastness of crime in this city. I am sad that because of this, individuals decide to take it into their own hands. I am sad that if someone stole my backpack and I screamed "thief," those around me would most likely stone the guilty person, and probably to his death. I am sad that thieves like this man, though they are doing an unjust thing, face intense injustice daily. 

I am sad that street children are labeled thieves. I am sad that they hear those words screamed at them on a daily basis, creating the mentality in their head that they are thieves, whether they previously were or not. I am sad that, that is now what they expect out of themselves. That is the most they think they are capable of amounting to. I am sad that many of these small boys that steal will grow up to be men who steal (if they live that long). 

I am mad about injustice. This is a perfect example of injustice, and injustice is what I came here to fight. 

Isaiah 61:8 says, 

"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them."

Pray for the thief. Pray he knows the perfect love of our savior and is able to cultivate a life of justice. Pray that he is protected from injustice. Pray for each boys who feels like he is nothing but a thief. Pray that each of them knows they are SO much more! Pray that he not label himself as a thief, but as a son of our perfect Father who loves Him. 

Pray for justice. 

Isaiah 1:17 
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

xoxo, 

Jordan