My word for April 16th is PASSIONATE

My word for April 16^th is PASSIONATE

Yesterday I received a phone call from one of Lauren’s high school friends.  He said, “Mrs. Misti can I come talk to you about something?” Of course I said, “Sure”.  Many times kids will want me to help them edit a paper, write a paper, need advice, or a loan of some sort.  When he arrived it wasn’t any of those things, he had a new passion.  He had decided to venture into selling a product to help people become healthy.  The product had many different things you could buy into, however it wasn’t the product that sold me it was the passion that he felt about the product.  Not only the product, but also how the company gave money to help others.  Part of the products proceeds go towards  “Operation Homefront”.  Operation Homefront helps military families in need.  Needless to say I bought in and said I would try the products. 

Let me explain to you about this young gentleman.  First he is an African American male, who is educated and working.  A single mother raised him; this mother worked two jobs at a time for her son to have a better life.    He was very involved all through junior high and high school. He took AP courses and was an honor graduate.   He attended the University of Arkansas for three years, not sure what happened.  He is a very determined young man who wants to do something with himself.  I have taken many classes on the African American male and the issue of poverty.   In the south the percentage of African American males that finish high school is very low.  Did you know that when building a new prison state officials determine the size of the facility due to the number of African American males are in the third grade at the time?   Evidence shows that children who do not read by third grade often fail to ever catch up.  These children are more likely to drop out of school, take drugs, or go to prison.  Many African Americans come from families that have generational non-readers, mothers and fathers on drugs, and non-educated parents.  This places those families in poverty, generational.  It is hard to get out of generational poverty once in it. 

This young gentleman is very passionate about doing something with himself and I am very passionate about helping him.  It is easy for us to become ingrown, think about our own problems.  As long as we focus on ourselves we will never get the results we need.   When we reach out to others, God will reach out to us.  When we help others solve their problems God will solve ours. God already knows what we need he knows everything about us. We need to pray for others with the same intensity that we pray for ourselves.  Shift your focus from what I need to what someone else needs.  Just as in the story of Ruth.  Ruth lost her husband and so did her sister in law.  Ruth’s mother in law, Naomi, had already lost her husband and now her sons.  She decided to move back to her hometown and she encouraged her daughter in laws to do the same.  Even though distraught with lose herself; Ruth couldn’t leave her mother in law.  She could have been bitter, however she chose to care for her mother in law.  She was not thinking of herself.  Ruth was thinking of someone else in her time of need.  While taking care of her mother in law, Ruth met Boaz and married him.  Ruth lived a good life.  If Ruth had decided to be selfish and take care of her needs instead of her mother in law she wouldn’t have meet Boaz and lived an abundant life. 

When we know God we experience his love, God pulls us out of self-centeredness and causes us to care more deeply about others.  “We love because he first loved us.”  He created us to know his love for us, and demonstrate that same love to others. Love each other as I have loved you.  {John 15:9,12} Life may be difficult, life isn’t always fair, but God didn’t lead you this far to give up.  Just as Lauren’s friend is passionate about his new venture, dig in your heels and get to work.  Get to work helping yourself by being passionate about helping others. 

Dear Lord we don’t want to be ingrown; we want to be outward people helping others.  We know that we need to sow seeds during times of need.  Enable us to be led to those who need us.  Assist us in being a miracle for someone, encouraging others. Help us to focus on others needs instead of our own during this journey of 2012.   

Ruth 2 NIV Story of Ruth and Boaz

http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.13.Ruth.htm, Ruth Her Story, Ruth and Naomi: Loyalty and Love