Monday, August 22, 2011

Why me?

Everett pointed out last week in his comments on the blog concerning the question "Why now?" that "Why me?" is another frequently asked question in fundraising visits.  This is very true, and is usually the first question that has to be answered.

Knowing Everett as I do, I know that he isn't asking this question in the same way that Job asks God to explain the reasons for his trials.  Anyone who has donated their time and money to the degree that Everett has does not view charity as a trial.  This is, however, a valid question and one which I feel deserves an answer that is as honest and complete as I can muster.

In the Old Testament, there is the story of David and Goliath.

Goliath was a champion from the army which opposed David's tribe.  He was nine feet tall, was clothed in bronze armor and carried a huge spear while his shield-bearer walked in front.  For 40 days, he challenged the Israelites to produce any warrior who would fight him, and if he were to lose, he said that his entire tribe would become the subjects of the Israelites.

None of the trained warriors would take up his challenge.  David, who was a very young man with no fighting experience, heard Goliath's challenge while running a message to his brothers on the front.  He expressed indignation that no one else would stand up to fight Goliath, and volunteered to do it himself.  He believed that God would help him win the fight.  Despite taunts from his brothers and the expressed doubt of the Israelite leader, David donned warrior attire and prepared to do battle.  However, he found that he was unaccustomed to the armor and sword, so instead grabbed a few rocks and his shepherd's staff.

David beaned Goliath with a rock and cut off his head.

David took the tools that had been provided to him and used them to their best advantage to win against insurmountable odds.

Our modern-day Goliath is a huge beast.  He is 9 feet of solid ignorance, armored with the fog produced by drug addiction and his shield-bearer is world-wide illiteracy.  Shackled behind him are the 12 million people currently held in slavery and the 5 billion people living on less than 10 dollars per day.

Why me?  And you?

Because we have a rock.

Because we are willing to use what God gave us to try and bean Goliath in the head.








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