No More Excuses

When we think of extraordinary people our minds usually turn to people like Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and Nelson Mandela. As we think of these people we tend to focus on the sacrifical lives they lived or their profound words of wisdom, and how gifted they were in touching the lives of many people. I don't know about you, but the next thought that usually follows for me is something on the line of, "Wow. I'm glad they had (or have) the gifts and abilities to serve people in this way because I don't have what it takes to do that." That last thought is pretty much a cop-out and excuse to keep living my same comfortable life. It's also an excuse that has been completely killed with an introduction to the life of a man named Sifiso. Sifiso lives in a rural area of a township called KwaNyuswa (about 15 minutes from where I'm staying). He lives in 1 room of an unfinished house that has dirt floors and glassless windows. He's been working on it since the 1990s. Is he lazy? What's he doing with his time anyway? (yes, those questions were a set-up:) ). Glad you asked. Seems his days are actually quite busy and focused on feeding the children in his community. He estimates that he feeds 300 children a day. For many of these kids the meal they get from him will be the only one that day. Some days he is unsure if he or the children will eat anything at all. By the way, did I mention that Sifiso is only 23 years old? I don't know about you but this fact both astonished and touched me deeply. This young man has the potential to further his education, work a good job and live a more comfortable life. Yet he forgoes finishing his own house to make sure the children in his community get a meal. He would rather make plans on how to expand his outreach and empower the small businesses of the women in his community than figure out how to buy the latest technology or trendy clothes. When asked why he's chosen this way of living his answer is clear: "When I feed these children I'm serving Jesus. It's the only way to live and I'll do it for the rest of my life." After meeting this man and seeing how he's chosen to live his life I had a realization. If such a young man can sacrifice his own desires to serve thouse around him in such a simple yet vital way, then I have no excuse. I don't have to aspire to the level of Mother Theresa or Ghandi. I just have to be willing to sacrifice my desire for extreme and usually unnecessary comfort to allow others around me to have their most basic of daily needs met. I can only encourage you to examine your lives with me and be willing to ask the painful question, "Am I willing to continue allowing others around me to suffer so I can live the life I want?".