In the first chapter, there were seven scenarios of different people in poverty explaining ethnicity, age, educational background, family or friends nearby, weekly wage, expenses needed to be paid, situational expenses (jail bail, hospital, school supplies, other stuff). Reading each scenario, I was just waiting for something good to happen in these typical poverty stories. Growing up in the suburbs and understanding "middle-class" rules of society, I always just assumed everyone not in a "middle-class" upbringing have the wrong view of life and should change to fit my idea of how life should be lived. After each scenario, an chart is there for the reading to fill out what types of resources that particular family has. Do they have knowledge of hidden middle-class rules, do they go to church or have friends in close contact that do? Do they know how to read? Later in the book, there are three different charts for lower/middle/upper classes and how they view different things. I'll try to give you an idea of what I mean. Food: You need it to survive. Lower-class: Quantity, how much did you eat? Middle-class: Quality, did it taste good? Upper-class: what is presented well? Possessions: things that are valued in every-day life. Lower-class: People, who do you know that can get you what you need? Middle-class: Things from self-sufficiency, what can you get based on what you make? Upper-class: Connections, how can networking improve my reputation or my company's? Hopefully that makes a little more sense. Those are the ones that I can remember the best.
At the very end of chapter one of the book, Payne stated that in general, most people living in poverty don't believe that they are living in poverty. Yeah, life is tough, but you figure out how to live. Also, in general, people in upper-class don't believe they are the wealthiest people in society, stating that they know someone richer. Reading this, I thought that people need to get out of their comfort zone and see that there are people not like you in the world. Being at CCDA a couple weeks ago was awesome. People were from so many different backgrounds, in the same room, praising the same God. Our 2nd Mile director commented on how she loves worship at that conference because it's a small glimpse of what she imagines heaven will be like. I cannot go into a poor neighborhood like Pearl World with my middle-class way of life and try to change everyone's "lower-class" way of life as if mine is better. It's just more comfortable for me. My favorite speaker from the CCDA conference was Richard Twiss, a Native American speaking about how America often overlooks the fact that over the last 400 years, the number of Native Americans dropped from 20 million to 232 thousand. He gave a history lesson on all the oppression and genocide against Native Americans because their way of life seemed to be "demonic" or "savage". Europeans, comfortable with their way of life, even their type of Christianity, came over to enforce their comfortable ways on others that were different from them. Long story short, the way we live may seem normal to us, but those learned behaviors where you are comfortable will not work when transplanted into a different type of community or culture. If I am to reach the lost in Jacksonville, I have to first understand that I am different, not better. I must come with a willingness to learn, not teach. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul says, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from god's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." Paul didn't want to make a bunch of little Pauls, rather, he wanted to make a bunch of Christs where these people were at.
Rayshantia (ray-SHAHN-tee) is in second grade and she needs the most academic help. The first day she was at two:fifty-two, she quickly read a book perfectly and I was so impressed. Unfortunately, she had memorized the book and needs help for sure. Math, reading, you name it. She knows letter sounds and recognizes very basic words, but has trouble sounding out words she doesn't know. She guesses at math until she happens to get the right answer. However, she is very quick (athletically) and sometimes beats the boys at Jump the Creak (distance jumping game). If she makes it to high school, she could dominate the track and field events for sure, if she makes it to high school. Keep her in your prayers. I feel that collectively she gets the least attention too because she's usually well-behaved and doesn't draw much attention to herself anyway. Help us see her as Christ sees her. Thanks for reading. This is a busy week for us, getting ready for a family fall festival. Pray that all the supplies and volunteers show up to make it work. Love you all.
(Rayshantia playing kickball)
No comments:
Post a Comment