Perspective

One of the gifts in life I value the most are those moments when the Lord gives you a perspective of the world totally unlike your own.  I had one of those moments this weekend.

After a very fun day at the zoo (we're members now!) with my wife and lots of friends, I was pretty exhausted and not too excited about going to a wedding (yes, I'm a guy.)  The bride is from Sudan, so many of our African friends were there.  A Sudanese family that Jessica knows came to sit with us at the reception, and we had a great time goofing off with their kids (OK, so goofing off describes me much more than Jess, but we both had fun!)  During my conversation with their dad, several things widened my worldview in a profound way.

A refugee from fighting in Sudan over 12 years ago, he first fled to Egypt, then made it to the States.  This story I've heard before --  it's the sad yet triumphant story of so many of my new friends here in Memphis who have seen wars and fighting unlike anything most of us can fathom.  After returning once to Egypt to help his wife make it to the States, he's been here since, working hard to establish his family in Memphis.  Thinking myself culturally saavy, I asked about his family, knowing family is very important to our friends.  "Most of them died in the fighting" was his simple reply, with a slight air of sadness even so many years later.  I stood speechless trying to comprehend that fact. 

It's a lesson I began to learn in Haiti -- what is CNN Headline News (or page 2 newspaper footnotes) to us here in America is daily life for many people around the world. 

As he told me his immigration story, this big 6-foot something man looked at me, smiled, and said, "there's no other country in the world with 'a dream.'  Only in America do people coming to pursue dreams - the 'American Dream.'"  While maybe not true to every degree, his point is very clear - America is the land where people come, or want to come, for a better life.  Despite our very real needs for more healthcare reform and social justice and better racial reconciliation and better education, and on and on - we still live in a great country.  We should all strive daily to make it a better place to live, but we should also cherish this gift of American citizenship that the Lord has given us.

My Sudanese friend works day and night at his job, usually sleeping less than 3 hours a day.  His wife also works when she can.  His greatest dream is to see his children educated - an opportunity he never had.  He beams as his 7 year old talks about how much he loves school.  Of course, the two older ones want to be doctors (they're good at flattering guests!) and the youngest a firefighter (also a young man after my heart!)

I gained a new perspective on life this weekend thanks to my friends from Sudan.

Thanks Dad and Mom, for giving us the opportunities you did.

Pray for our refugee friends here in Memphis, that they would find a good life here, and that they would see how the Lord has pursued them and desires to know them.  For those who do, pray that they will walk closely with the Lord.  Pray for our friendships, that they would grow, that we would be a blessing to each other.

Pray for their families and friends still in harms way around the world.

Pray for opportunities for all our refugee friends' children as they grow old.  Jessica and I having been asking the Lord to provide funding for college for them as they reach that age. We have lots of friends nearing that time.

Thanks friends!