As Kara's Mum she has asked me to write the following blog for her.
"Hi can you make a donation."
How these words often disgruntled our senses, scare us or intimidate us to walk as far away from the asker as possible. We commonly treat these people of charities, shopping centre mini stalls / booths like the Jews and Romans 2000+ years ago treated the lepers. Unclean...Diseased...Dirty... As if one ingle acknowledgement, whether it's a glance, gesture or word is going to stricken us to our death beds. Yet what I've realised, with the tables being turned this is not the case at all!
Sad to say, in Australia- even though we have the rule of charities and stall holders not being allowed to talk to you unless you make eye contact with them first, I was one of those people who walked as far away as possible from the organisation. If they spoke to me, I might softly say 'no thank you' but often I pretended I had never heard them, and after being with Strong Tower Ministries for the past 3 months, I've come to realise how wrong my behaviours were around these organisations. The people that asked for donations or for you to have a look at their products, are people too! They deserve our respect, care and love! All they are asking for is a few minutes of your time to share and represent their organisation. This is their lifestyle - this is their job and it is really no different from a 9-5 job, a shift work job, or a telemarketers job. As much as we often treat each of these people with different levels of respect, purpose and worth, we really shouldn't. Each person has the exact same worth, no matter what their job is, or their background.
God taught me something similar to this 6 weeks ago with James 2:1-13, where it talks about a pauper and a lord being shown different forms of privileges, based on their status and how we should not discriminate or show favouritism, for all are equal in God's eyes and deserve the same love that we show ourselves , which God has shown us first. God taught me on my first fundraiser run, standing outside Walmart 10-12 hrs a day for 3 days straight - doing something I'd swore I'd never do, nor wanted done to me - asking for donations;  that whether the person you ask blesses you with a donation / buying a hand made cross, or blatantly ignores you, gruffly says 'no' or swears at you, you have to treat them the same. They are still valuable and of intricate worth whether they donate or not. They are God's children, his loved ones!
After all these weeks of standing in the rain, hail heat and shine I know I will never treat another donation asker the same way I used to. They are doing what God has asked them to do, or to put food on the table for themselves and / or loved ones. Who am I to judge their worth based on their occupation, body shape, popularity status, disease,vocabulary,religious beliefs (and how they walk them out) or addiction / life controlling issue? I am no one. I have no place to judge and God has blessed me with a valuable worth, so who am I not to see the worth God has placed in every single other person around me (past, present and future). When it comes down to it we are all of equal worth. We are all equal in his eyes. We are his beloved children, adopted into his kingdom, and paid for by the sacrificial blood of His son.
"Father I ask you today to help me see everyone of your children (whether their walking with you or away from you) as you do. Open my eyes to the beauty you have given them, instead of seeing the sooty ashes. Help me not to judge them with my preconceived ideas and world views. Thank you for loving us all so much that you sent your only Son to die for our sins; so that we may have a relationship with you! Let us all grow closer to You and have You as our Strong Tower, rock and refuge; our daily bread and living hope. In Jesus name I pray. Amen