Life in Perspective

I noticed a friend was down. So, I took her out for ice cream and a friendly chat. What came from that was an ice cream melted and forgotten on the table with my friend crying as she told me her life story. My age, high school drop-out, been living with a guy since age 16, 2 kids, "husband" lives in another country and visits every 3 months to beat her (not to mention wants her to get an abortion everytime he gets her pregnant), my friend now lives with her sister-in-law and cousin ("husband's" family) who constantly ridicule her for not getting drunk on the weekends and instead going to Church.

What do I have to say? Not much.

Suddenly, my problems seem simple and not worth complaining about. More than that, I realize that I am here to learn to love this girl and truly be a sister in Christ, walking alongside her and encouraging her. I'm sure this is the story with many of the women I live with and come into contact with. They just are too scared to tell anyone their stories, just like my friend. She hasn't even told her mom or sister what she has told me.

I feel very honored that she would feel comfortable with me and be so vunerable. I realized that this is what I need to be doing, be concerned about the people. I have a to-do list about 30 feet long, but really, that stuff doesn't take priority. I so easily get caught up (and stressed out) by all the things I need to do that I forget about people sometimes.