After reading quite an inspiring book called, "Kisses from Katie", I cannot help feeling guilty.
If you haven't read this book, I strongly encourage you to do so. It's about a young girl named Katie (one year older than myself) who goes to Uganda for a year after high school and stays to help take care of the children as well as start up a Nonprofit Organization called Amazima. Not only does she work hard in the community, but she adopts fourteen young girls in the first 2 years of being there.
The things she has gone through and the things she has seen not only make you realize your own selfishness and your own misgivings, but also what the world and society have come to today.
We see people spending 2.5 million dollars on 2 bedroom apartments. Some children are brought up to think that every family owns a plane. People are spending $2,000 for a bottle of champagne to impress their friends. That is what it has come to, a status war. Who makes more money? Who is wearing the most expensive brand? Who owns the $500+ clutch purse?
This girl gets up every morning, cooks breakfast, lunch, and dinner for fourteen girls . They are lucky to have a house and a van to drive to church in. They praise God and thank Him for everything they have. Every time someone dies in Katie's arms, she thanks Jesus for making them present in her life and thank Him for taking away their suffering. She embraces every experience, every situation with open arms and faith that I have never even heard of expressed in such a young woman. She is a year older than I and has witnessed the worst conditions in this world and still praises God and thanks Him for her wonderful life.
And still, I am moody because I want an iPhone. I get mad when my car's gas light comes on. I get annoyed when I have more invitations to address for the wedding. I used to spend money to look tan… Silly, isn't it? I mean, what an eye-opener. What a slap in the face!
This book is truly humbling and if you get a chance to read it, I highly recommend it.
Visit Katie's blog here.
Mary Elizabeth, I couldn't agree with you more. I read Katie's book and my eyes and my heart were just opened so wide. I look around me at people building enormous houses with five times the space they really need, or having a Bentley sitting in the garage just because they like them. How much is enough? And I admit, I have to ask it of myself often, too, even though we live much more modestly than that.
ReplyDeleteYou make excellent points. I appreciate your sharing your thoughts...