Why Us?

There is a young Zambian girl named Elizabeth who has been babysitting for us and for the Allens during our orientation and language classes. The other day we took her home, as we’ve done before, to a nearby compound called Ng’ombe. Today, however, she asked us if we would come in and meet her mom. So, the kids and I went inside to say hello. Her mother greeted us with a huge smile, swooped Maddie right out of my arms, brought us inside and pulled out their one chair for me to sit on while she sat on the concrete floor. Her mother didn’t speak English so Elizabeth translated between us as we talked for a few minutes. They are a beautiful family.

When we left I asked the kids what they thought of Elizabeth’s house. Caleb said, “It was fine, just really small.” I said, “You know that’s the kind of house most people in Zambia live in,” to which he replied, “So how come we don’t?”

Hmmm. My first reaction was to say, “because we’re Americans,” (which is technically true, but not the message we want to instill in our children). So, instead we both said, “God has chosen to bless us with enough money to live in a bigger house. Why do you think He would do that?” Caleb said, “Because He loves us.”

“Yes, but he loves Elizabeth’s family too,” I said. “God doesn’t show how much He loves us by giving us money and things. So, if He loves all of us the same, why do you think He would give us more money?” Deep stuff for a 7-year-old and also for a 31-year-old.

In that conversation with the kids we just left it by saying that God gives us the things we have so that we can use them to glorify Him and to love other people. Though this was the first time our kids have encountered this question, we have, in fact, been wrestling with it since coming here to Zambia. “Why us?”  

One evening Brent drove our guard, Charles, home. After returning he said, “Charles’s whole family lives in a house that is no bigger than our kitchen. I am no better than this man, so why is it that God has allowed me to be born into a society that allows me so much more?”

It is so easy for us to see, now that we live in a third world country, exactly how much we have as Americans – even as average middle class Americans. Here our relative wealth is ever before us. And though we would all quickly say how grateful we are to God for blessing us with so much, I think the challenge is in considering why He has given us so much. In His sovereignty, God has chosen to give us what we have. I don’t think His intent is that we should feel guilty about it and so try to do things to make ourselves feel better. I think He simply wants us to grapple with it and try to understand why and what He wants us to do with it. And I’m sure the specific answer looks different for each of us.

We have no brilliant answers. We are wrestling. As we search His word and try to learn the secret of being content (see Philippians 4:11-13), will you pray with us to understand God’s purpose?  

Also, let us say how grateful we are for all of you. We are so grateful to have a community of friends to walk with us and to support us financially and prayerfully as we make this journey. You are here with us and you are a true blessing from God!