Jaded

Jaded

June 9, 2011

While waiting for a journalist from a local magazine to interview me for a Trash To Treasure story, I was keenly aware I needed to spend a few quite moments with God. I needed to be reminded of who I do this for and why. Let's just say it's been easy to feel jaded lately...missing material, disappearing supplies I've purchased for the shelter, corruption at all levels, from the government to the staff and domestic workers; everywhere I look I am outraged. The newspapers have been abuzz with allegations of human trafficking involving embassy employees and agency secretaries. To fully froth my brew, in the Kuwait Times this week a female political activist and former parliamentary candidate recommended the introduction of legislation to legalize the provision of enslaved female concubines for Muslim men in Kuwait in a bid, she says, to protect those men from committing adultery or corruption!

If it were only that "outsiders" were inflicting abuse, it would be easy to defend the victims. The more I see, I realize the "victims" are often complicit in the creation of the problems and sometimes have glaring gaps in integrity. Friends tell me of maids who they "treated like family" who went on to steal from them, lie, and eventually run away leaving them holding the bill for their hiring. One lady I met told me such a story and said her maid could just "rot in hell" for running away in spite of all she was given. If I had to sort out the "deserving" from the "undeserving" it would be an impossible task.

Thus, I was drawn today to Luke 15. There are so many angles to the story of the Prodigal son, but today I saw what a brat he was. A self centered, undisciplined, scheming, degenerate! He really did deserve what he got. Why then was his father SO quick to forgive, embrace, and give him another chance? Once again, Jesus is painting a picture of the heart of God. Once again, he reminded me of why I do this. I remind him that HE must supply the LOVE. In his book What Good Is God? Philip Yancy discusses Christianity in the Gulf Countries and the plight of foreign workers. He says "the compassionate work that many of you are doing among the laborers from other countries may have more impact on Middle Eastern society than all the billions of dollars being poured into oil exploration and construction projects. I have seen the long term results of a few early missionaries who sacrificially brought education and medical care to neglected groups here. People instinctively know the difference between something done with a profit motive and something done with a love motive."

The young lady who interviewed me was raised in Kuwait by Lebanese/Egyptian parents and herself lamented the self absorbed state of todays youth in this country. She is excited to do an article that is not "fluff" but than can make a difference. She plotted with me ways to reach the local schools to raise awareness and sell Trash To Treasure products...just as I'm about to "check out" emotionally from here, a new breath of excitement, some new energy for the task ahead for those who come behind me! I will give my Filipino maids, the staff at their embassy, and even the "locals" in Kuwait another second chance!