Destitute

Webster defines destitute as “lacking the basic necessities for life.” What are the basic necessities to live though? Are they food and water or joy and companionship? In either case I have encountered it here in Ethiopia. Although the streets are speckled with smiles, destitution blankets the country.

The weight of it has grown heavy on me. Day after day I walk through the streets and watch the street children beg and the mothers huddled under tarps to protect their babies from the sun or rain. Embarrassed, I often keep my eyes focused on the concrete below... not embarrassed for what I see in them, but embarrassed for what they see in me.

They see a wealthy Westerner who has never gone a day without the option of eating, been homeless, or even gone without a pair of shoes. They see a Westerner who has never experienced war, been left alone, or gone without medicine or education.

Destitution, whether I see it in the hollow eyes of an American shopping at the mall or in the tears of a hungry baby in Africa, pierces my heart. It causes me to reflect on the blessings I have: Friends, family, food, shelter, health, joy, and plenty of shoes.

After getting over my recurring feelings of guilt, I recognize that I am not called to be embarrassed of the blessings in my life, I am simply called to share them. I am called to share my friendship, my food, my shelter, a smile, and maybe even my shoes. I think I will leave some shoes behind in Africa, and when I return to the Sates and enter a mall I think I will share some smiles.