Perspective

In an attempt to complement the great work that Sophie (Boomama) and Shannon (Rocks In My Dryer) are called to at this very moment in Africa, I wanted to point people to a website that my friend Susan posted in her blog, Good Grief:globalrichlist.comAfter selecting dollars, pounds, yen, can, or euro, type in your annual income. Then click on “Show me the money” and you’ll see how rich you are compared to the rest of the world. Take a minute to read the little paragraph under the second heading…a little goes a long way.I typed in a variety of annual incomes, just to see how where they would fall on the continuum. I already pretty much knew where our family’s income would put us. What was even more interesting was to experiment and see what it took to bring it down. Play around and see what you learn.It’s just a little tool to get some perspective.Speaking of perspective, if you haven’t yet, be sure to read Shannon’s and Sophie’s descriptions of their first day in Uganda.Also, if you aren’t regular readers of those two bloggers, read this personal reflection on Shaun Groves’ blog that they pointed to a few days ago. He’s on the same Compassion International team as our mama-bloggers and posted it just before they left.And then, to top it off, if you haven’t yet watched this video, take a gander.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtOF8c_lFFw]As the globalrichlist website and video point out, it doesn’t take much to make a big difference.I got a little carried away in the comment section at Flourishing Mother after I read her post about Small Things with Great Love. This is my extremely long response:

And you know, I got to thinking about the thoughts you’ve presented through the story, and I recalled something a friend of mine told me. She described a cartoon–she didn’t have it to show me–that showed a person standing in front of what appeared to be ten thousand other people. The person in the foreground was saying, “But I’m just one person. What difference could I possibly make?” But then, stretching out behind her, the same thought balloon was popping up over the heads of all those thousands of other people.The point being, of course, that if enough of us went ahead and faithfully did one, small thing, it truly would add up and make a difference.Mother Teresa is an excellent example of that. She was faithful to get off the train and obey the voice or vision that came to her from God to help the one homeless person slumped in the sidewalk. She cleaned him up and helped relieve his suffering and die with dignity. It was the beginning of the Sisters of Charity that has stretched around the globe. One day, one woman helped one man. Even if it *didn’t* add up, that is a very good thing.Even those piggy bank pennies add up. The original idea behind the March of Dimes was to collect dimes–that’s small–but those dimes really added up!And the joy on your girls’ faces as they worked for Jesus will add up in their hearts toward their future.Thanks for the inspiration. What one, small thing shall I do today? Hm…..

My two younger kids are participating in a church program to raise money for mosquito nets for kids in Bangladesh. The nets are only $6 each, and by sleeping under them, the children (not only in Bangladesh, but in countries around the world) greatly reduce their exposure to malaria. A six dollar mosquito net can save lives.My kids actually have some white mosquito-like netting that we draped over their beds, princess-like. It’s nothing more than a decorative touch for us and cost way more than six dollars.Sometimes we just need perspective.We don’t have to tear down the netting in our kids’ rooms. But we can look at them each night, and as we tuck our kids into bed, we can try not to forget……one small thing….