Feeling Inspired

With all of the crazy and sad and terrible things happening in our world today, I feel like I have just been at a total loss as to what can actually be done to make any sort of dent in the atrocities taking place around the globe. There are so many issues to take a stand for. So many things that are just so wrong. So much poverty and homelessness and abuse and disease and trafficking and killings. So many things to shake our fists at and protest and pour ourselves into. You guys. It is honestly so overwhelming. And I think it's also debilitating.

It's easy to say "there's so much, what can I do?"

Or "how do I even choose what to fight for?"

And then to become apathetic or cynical and to hide out and in the comfort of our own lives and decide that it's better and easier to be ignorant. Except we're not ignorant, anymore.

I have been so incredibly inspired by my friends lately! They have said "things aren't okay and I want to do something. I want to be a part of something bigger than myself and my comforts and my life" and then they actually did something.

My friend, Jason, has been raising thousands of dollars and crazy amounts of awareness in regards to human trafficking all over the state of Texas. Today he is embarking on a sweet and rigorous journey, running over 30 miles for the next 30 days (850 miles across the state of Texas). I'm not saying everyone should do this (gross. I'm nervous about my upcoming races that are tiny in size compared to that).  But his creativity and passion excite and inspire me. If you want to follow along with Jason and his crazy awesome trek, you can on Facebook under Texas Freedom Run or on his website at http://texasfreedomrun.com/

Holly, who has been someone who has spurred me on to things outside of myself since I was 18, not only started a Royal Family Kid's Camp in Florida with her husband and some friends but also mobilized me, as well as many others to do the same. If you haven't heard of RFK, look them up. http://royalfamilykids.org. They are doing amazing things all over the world to confront abuse and change lives. 

Jenny and about one hundred other people I know, including my husband and son, have spent time in China at Bring Me Hope Camp loving on orphans for two to four weeks at a time and then coming home and advocating for their adoption. You guys! It is so beautiful to hear day after day that not only were these orphans loved well in China but now they are finding homes all over the world, and becoming family members and children who are loved and cared for. Get to know more about this at http://www.bringmehope.org. 

Lilli has spent time in Southeast Asia learning firsthand about trafficking and meeting the women and children who have been rescued as well as some who are still being trafficked and prostituted, too scared or hardened to know that there is anything else out there for them. Once back in the states, her passion for speaking up for these women and children didn't go away just because she was out of the trenches and back to her 'normal life'. In 2012, Lilli founded The Rescue Run, located here in Iowa City. Lilli organized it so that all of the proceeds from the run were invested into a sweet organization called Rapha House. They are doing some awesome stuff over there... See for yourself http://www.raphahouse.org. The Rapha Run is actually taking place THIS Saturday. It's never too late to sign up and I've made it easy for you. Here are the details. http://www.jogrunrace.com/Race/View/199226/the-rescue-run-5k-runwalk-2014-iowa-city-iowa-october-4-2014

Jess spent three months of her life in Uganda, working with Children's Hope Chest and the Orphans of Teso. What God taught her there is incredible and invaluable and beautiful and hard. You can read her newest blog about willingness and what it means to say yes at http://orphansofteso.com/2014/09/29/freed-to-love-by-jess-hanson/

Sharon decided to open her house to foster kids after seeing firsthand how many children in the local area have been abused or neglected. 

Aidy offers free counseling to people who are searching and struggling. 

Suzie and her husband generously support and give to an orphanage in Haiti and also have taken trips to meet the kids they are pouring into across the ocean. 

And the list goes on and on...

There are just so many beautiful things to be a part of. 

You guys. This isn't a feel bad message about the things we aren't doing. Believe me...that's not my heart. And it's not a post about being involved in these things because we should or feel bad or guilty if we don't. 

Its a totally freeing message. It's a message that says you CAN do something. We literally have the means and access. And I don't know what that something is. Maybe it's going somewhere and doing something. Maybe it's helping out locally. Maybe it's giving financially. And maybe it's mobilizing others to go when you can't. 

And not even doing these things because we should or because we'll feel bad if we don't but because it's what Jesus did so that God's name would be known. And the more people in my life that I think about, the more I am excited about what their yes's look like and the fact that they even allowed themselves to say yes at all! 

And suddenly I am inspired and overwhelmed by all of the pure amazingness taking place in the world by people saying yes instead of feeling cynical and apathetic by the overwhelming problems that we are confronted with day in and day out in all forms of media.