Lots to be Thankful For

The day had been a pretty one, one of the warmest Thanksgivings on record. As night set, the air quickly dropped more than 30 degrees, though, quickly preparing to greet the season’s first snow.

But I was warm. And my belly was full of the wonderful Southern Thanksgiving food I had enjoyed in Nashville at my cousin Julie’s house. I now sat down to watch the annual Heroes program on CNN, a program they do annually to honor 10 people who have made a huge difference in the world. It’s a program I enjoy every year I can—the perfect mix of tragedy and bravery, destruction and compassion, hand-served to the viewer with a large measure of hope to help us remain optimistic that the world isn’t always such a terrible place after all.

The first honoree was a Scottish man who oversees a feeding program for starving children around the world. And by ‘starving’ I mean literally dying of hunger, not what I feel when my lunch break starts late. This man most recently has been feeding thousands of children in Haiti. He’d been working in Haiti before the earthquake, and the tragedy just exacerbated the problem. Tears formed in my eyes as I watched his story, my heart heavy with sadness at the plight of these children, but also joyful at the work the Scotsman was doing. I usually make it to the 3rd or 4th honoree before I let my emotions get the best of me, but CNN started with a full hand this year.

Later in the program, they honored another honoree—a woman from Mississippi who spear-headed a campaign to reduce her community’s obesity rates. She’s started work-out clubs, helped change restaurant menus, and worked with local officials to help people get healthier in the nation’s unhealthiest state. Her story was very inspiring, and her example is one that will hopefully catch on in many communities around the country.

After the program finished, and the first huge snowflakes began to fall and erase the now-frozen ground, I thought of the irony between these two honorees. One was being honored for helping feed children, and one was being honored for helping children (and adults) eat less. And strangely, neither is more or less challenging than the other. This world we live in is very complex. And as my parents often told me growing up (I am the middle child, of course), life isn’t fair.

This is a personal struggle I have inside of me anywhere that I go. It’s the curse, and blessing, of bouncing between two extremes. I am from America, land of excess. But I often live and work in areas of the world where there is much need. I’ve never been good at reconciling those two differences.

This year has been a challenging one for America and its economy, and me as well. I began the year working in Burundi at a rural clinic—seeing lives hang in the balance every single day. But that job unfortunately didn’t last long, and I was soon back in America, contributing to the country’s unemployment rate, like several of my friends. I ended up back with my parents, and got a temporary job working at a wireless company call center in Bardstown, where the job requirements were a high school diploma, or GED equivalent, and “no more than three misdemeanors.” While this was not what I had in mind when I shook President Ransdell’s hand at my college graduation, it was better than the alternative—no work or paycheck. (Working overseas renders me exempt from unemployment benefits.) While the job itself wasn’t that exciting, I got to meet some really wonderful people. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the real side of Kentucky—all of its charm, beauty, and culture. This may sound strange, having grown up in Kentucky. But I grew up in a military community, which often has a very different personality than the areas surrounding it.

That was only a temporary job, so after a few months, I was back to being the wrong statistic again. About two months ago, I got the opportunity to start filling in part-time as Christmas help at a local Christian bookstore I’d worked at in high school. Although it’s not the most lucrative of jobs, I’ve gotten to reconnect with some old friends, something that is always wonderful. I have also gotten to meet a lot of new people and made new friends. The products have changed quite a bit since I last worked there—instead of the Bible on cassette we now sell pre-loaded Bible mp3 players. And we also have singing cards—nothing says Happy Birthday like a jazzed-up version of Amazing Grace!

As wonderful as this job has been, it has also been feeding my personal struggle to reconcile America with poorer regions of the world. We have so much excess in this country, and every day many customers come in and by things that will lie unused on a shelf for years. Or they’ll expensive candy because of the convenience of it, all the while children lie hungry in many places all around the world. Even me, or my unemployed friends, have never gone hungry, always have a warm bed at night, and most of the time even have internet and cable.

Don’t get me wrong, there is much need in this country as well. But regardless of one’s situation, there is always help. That is one of my favorite things about this country, our sense to help others.

Just a few days ago, I found out that I would once again be going back to a place where there is much need. I will soon be moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, to work with Samaritan’s Purse. You may remember I worked with them in Uganda last year. This is a humanitarian organization headed by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham. I will be working in logistics, helping the supply chain run a little more smoothly.

In the Bible, Jesus says there will always be the poor. While I’ve not always incredibly enjoyed this verse, I do recognize its truth. However, that doesn’t keep me from trying to rebel against it. As an American, helping the less fortunate is infused in my blood. And, just like Jesus did in the Bible, we can all work together to make sure there are as few poor as possible.

I will be sad to be leaving my family here in the States again. But on my way to the Congo, I will be making a pit stop in Burkina Faso to visit my second family and spend time with my two godsons, Payjay and Mahamadou. That’s the one thing that we all seem to have in common, rich or poor, hungry or well-fed—family, and the sense of sticking together no matter what life throws your way.

This is an exciting opportunity for me, and I know it will bring many exciting stories I will be able to share with you.

As I sit writing this, snow is falling once again—nature’s attempt at an apology for the cold weather. Realizing how blessed I am, I give in to its request, and will enjoy the beautiful snow the rest of my short time here in Kentucky.