Owen and I were headed to school this morning, playing his current favorite game of "who would you root for .... the Chargers or the horseshoes" (insert any variation of NFL teams here; we run through them all, and as a true Baltimore fan that's what he calls the professional football team from Indianapolis), when "Do They Know It's Christmas" came on the radio.
You remember ... a tune performed by a group of British and Irish superstars assembled by Bob Geldorf in 1984, sales of the record were donated to famine relief in Ethiopia. I sang along in the car, joining Bono in sweet harmony, before realizing with a sinking heart that
nothing has really changed. In some places, it's gotten even worse.
Twenty-seven years out and people the world over still suffer from hunger everyday. Parents worry that they won't be able to feed their children, and babies cry themselves to sleep with an empty belly. One recent study showed that 1 in 6 Americans don't have access to enough food. Across the country, nearly 5.5 million children live in families that have lost homes to foreclosures and 8 million children live in families where at least one parent has lost a job.
You read that right ...
1 in 6 people are slowly starving. In our own country. Let it sink in a bit.
Try to imagine your children asking for food with tears in their eyes, and not being able to give them something because the money has run out for the week and the fridge is empty. Think about lying in bed at night, stomach cramping, not knowing where your family's next meal will come from, or how you will afford to buy milk or bread. Picture if you were a teen trying to get good grades in school, but you had to fight the constant distraction of not eating breakfast yet again.
It makes me pause and question the commercial side of this season. Perhaps I should forget the fancy Christmas cards, stocking stuffers, toys, and clothes, and send every cent to someone in need. Yet here's the rub - I really like giving presents and I enjoy all the wrappings that come with Christmas! Bob works very hard all year, I budget every month, and neither of us spends a lot of money on ourselves so that we can afford to give our friends and family gifts at Christmas. We do not go overboard, in fact I'm sure our gift pile would look spare to many, but we do like to celebrate. We realize it is a privilege to be able to give Cearra the latest phone or iPod, and to indulge Owen's love of John Deere and Angry Birds, and we appreciate our blessings. Most of all, I truly love finding just the "right" thing for someone, and watching their faces light up when they tear off the wrapping paper. And of course, I like getting presents too - who doesn't?
So I am not going to be giving all that up entirely, but for me it's also about finding a balance and in doing so remembering the "Christ" message of the season.
I recognize that at times it feels overwhelming and hopeless - the sheer number of people around the globe who need a hand; the heartbreaking images of children living in poverty; orphans with no homes or families; elderly without proper care or a warm home. But when I feel like sticking my head in the sand, I'm always reminded of the starfish story - that while there are many, many starfish that need help, we can each make a difference to at least one.
I'm pretty positive that most - if not all - of you have made charitable giving part of your holiday traditions. Whether it's providing Christmas for a family in need or throwing change in the Salvation Army bucket each time you pass by, your efforts do make a difference. We support several organizations here and in Kazakhstan, and we will continue to do so. This year, we will do more (sorry Bob, there goes one of your presents).
Please consider making one of your gifts this year to a family you will never meet.
Feeding America will help provide food to an estimated 14 million children this year. Your gift of $45 will feed a family of four for a month. If that's too much right now, consider a smaller gift - it's so easy - you can contribute $10 right now to Feeding America by texting MEAL to 50555 and replying "YES".
You won't see the smiles on the faces of grateful parents when they open a box of nutritious food and prepare dinner for their children. You won't hear the kids contented sighs when their little stomachs are finally full for the first time in months. But I promise you, you will lay down tonight and feel joy in your heart that today you helped change a life.
