The Gift of Perspective

One of my great friends, Stephen Snyder, just got back from South Africa where he spent a few weeks helping missionaries in a squatter camp. You can read more about it here.

He shared a bit of his trip to our students last Wednesday night and one part of his story really struck home with me.

He told the story of a young man, about 17, who he got to know while he was there. This young man had been through more than any old man would want to. He was on his own. He had seen his aunt burned alive by a group of men, he had been abused by his dad, and he was now completely on his own.

Stephen shared how this young man called him over one night and asked Stephen if there was anything he could pray about for him. Needless to say Stephen was floored. This young man asked to pray for Stephen. Unbelievable.

You know what this young man wants more than anything? To learn to read so he can read the Bible. Unreal. This kid has seen more than many of us will in our entire lives and he simply wants to know Christ more.

One thing I have learned in my short life is this... perspective is everything. I get physically sick sometimes at the things we get upset about. The pressures we crack under. We have no idea what hardship is. We have no idea what it is to be starving, yet we say that we are everyday we eat lunch late.

So the next time we update our facebook status with how our worlds our falling apart because we had a bad day, our friends have hurt us, or our relationships don't work out, remember this. There is a young man in South Africa who wants to learn to read so he can know Christ more.