Best Laid Plans
I had an entire blog post written out. It was all about how lately I’ve been feeling a tad underappreciated as a mom. It was about the need to ask for help and how important the word no is – even when that no is to your family. It was a pretty good post. I was all ready to do a little editing and then post it today.
But then I read this post from Kristen Welch from We Are That Family. She was guest posting on Ann Voskamp’s blog.
If you don’t know who Kristen Welch is, she founded and runs Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya. Their website explains them this way. Mercy House exists to engage, empower and disciple women around the globe in Jesus’ name through partnerships and sustainable fair trade product development.
A New Perspective
Reading Kristen’s heartfelt words about a mom who lives in the worst slums in Kenya, I realized something. No matter what any of our Mother’s Days looked like, it was still miles better than about 75% of the world’s.
It’s hard to fathom the grinding poverty that exists elsewhere in the world.
It’s hard to understand the desperate and heartbreaking choices mothers around the world have to make just to keep their children alive.
It’s impossible to wrap our minds around handing our child over to forms of slavery just so they can have enough food to live.
Yet, this is how a huge percentage of the world’s women live their lives – in poverty, in fear, in desperation.
How You Can Make a Difference
It’s overwhelming to think about, and yet, there are ways we can help.
Today is the She is Priceless campaign. There are 8 non-profit organizations, all designed to help the most vulnerable of women and children in some of the most difficult places in the world.
When I think of the mother Kristen writes about, who has had to allow her young teen daughter to sell her body to provide food and whose son is owned by a neighbor who works him night and day just for a small amount of sustenance, I’m ashamed. Ashamed that I was whining about feeling taken advantage of because I had to pick up extra socks. Ashamed that I complain about anything in my very blessed and abundant life.
So, are you ready to truly celebrate mothers?
