Why Me Lord?

Why me Lord?

What have I ever done?

To deserve even one

of the blessings I've known

Why me Lord?

What did I ever do?

That was worth love from you

And the kindness you've shown

Words by Kris Kristofferson

If you are anywhere near my age (a decade or so either way), you probably remember this song. I have been thinking about this song a lot lately.

Marc and I have lived in Honduras over three years now and been working here on short term missions for almost a decade. It doesn't take long to realize how blessed I am. And I don't mean financial and material things.

I was, as most of you were, given every opportunity for all the education I desired, with a minimum of twelve years of grade school and high school.

I was given and taught about proper nutrition. Yes, we had cake for breakfast sometimes, but not all the time.

My parents made sure I had good medical and dental care. Nothing ever happened that did not get seen about.

I was taught good hygiene habits and the importance of practicing those habits.

I don't know why I was born in the USA and someone else wasn't. I don't know why I had all those opportunites and someone else didn't. It is not because I am a better person or that my parents were better people.

People in third world countries love their children as much as my parents loved me. They desire a better live and better opportunites for their children than they had themselves. They usually do not have the means to provide the opportunites.

The government imposes rules that keep children out of school instead of encouraging them to be there, thus perpetuating the cycle of uneducation and poverty. Uneducated people cannot find jobs and thus cannot buy adequate food for their families. Medical care is pay before you are seen. With no money, a person cannot get the medical care or vaccinations a child needs. Without running water or a creek or lake nearby, it is impossible to maintain good hygiene. And when one generation cannot provide these things to the next generation, the knowledge is lost and the cycle continues.

The poverty and lack of education and horrible hygiene hit me hard today. I pray that it never stops hitting me as hard as it did today.

Terri