Saturday, April 11, 2009

Crop Walk 2009



As I think about how I can become a better person--a more improved version of me--I think it's important to consider how I can make life for people around me better. The two--making self better and making others better--go hand in hand (and Matthew 25:40 is a mandate).

Kesa, a friend from church, invited me to participate in the CWS/Crop Hunger Walk. For three miles and an hour of time, we joined several others from Johnson County, Iowa, in a fundraising walk. Why did we walk? Because 854 million people in America and around the world live in poverty must walk in order to care for basic needs--food, water, shelter, employment, healthcare, education. Walking in a circuitous route, wearing my thick coat and tennis shoes was a very easy task for me, and even though it took little out of me, I don't think I could imagine having to do so every day to care for myself and my loved ones. It put things in perspective.

It's really easy to make a small donation of cash, coats, or canned goods, or go on a humanitarian trip every once in a while. What I must realize is that my seasonal giving "out of the goodness of my heart" isn't going to solve the world's problems. None of us have the power to solve the world's problems but we each have the capability to make one person's day a little easier. There are so many ways to be attuned to the needs of those around us--those impoverished in our community but also dear loved ones who need the support of family and friends.

New Goal: I'm going to be just a little more aware of others around me--with an open heart and a helping hand.

Photographs by Kesa Onwere

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