Was blind but now can see...

Today was one of those fairly-average days which turned into fabulous. All because I let myself get stopped by a smiling stranger in the middle of the shopping mall. I now get the joy of knowing that every month, on the 15th I can wake up and know that one more person in the world was blind but now can see.

Two years on from my attention being moemntarily captured by multiple billboards at melbourne train stations, I began to actually understand why it had something to do with me.

• 20yrs ago eye-saving surgeries began in our Aussie backyard - who would believe that in such an affluent, advanced developed nation we had a major "3rd world type" problem (cataracts) amongst our own Indigenous? Here in Australia the work started because its important to look after people at home first. Equality goes along with justice and it's what everyone should have so I'm happy to know that. 
• Simple sight-restoring surgeries began in hospitals in the pacific islands where there is a scarcity of eye doctors - only 1 Dr in 8 islands! You can't sponsor a child in the Pacific Islands - they're not touched by major NGO's. This is an opportunity to reach the largely 'unreached'!
• The Fred Hollows Foundation actually has an end goal: by 2020 they hope to remove themselves from every project as it will have become self-sustainable!
• There's probably more reasons you can find here http://www.hollows.org.au/our-work

I got asked why I made the decision to contribute to this cause.

Lots of reasons flew through my head -  i'm blessed to be a blessing;'to whom much is given much is required''; that verse - 'he did not withold his hand from the poor and needy and so all was well with him'; the fact that I'd just spent $15 on makeup to make my face look prettier when some people don't even have a complete face. BUT in my heart i knew it was the truth that...

Jesus heals the blind and makes them see, but he lets doctors use their talents, and ordinary people use their dollars so we get to share in these miracles.
And that joy of sharing is irreplacable.

It's what makes me feel alive.
I hope that everyone sees this. God doesn't need us after all -but he let's us see a need and feel a responsibility so that we give and only afterwards do we realize that with this joy, we wouldn't have it any other way.

I am forever thankful to John the Tongan-Cook Islander FHF advocate I met today who is a warm-hearted and passionate individual and with whom I had so many dreams in common! Home. Africa. Ending poverty for individuals. MSF. Hope for a better world <3

P.S. I am in horrific awe at how many sicknesses and diseases there are in this world. how did i receive the privilege of good health, good living environment, and a good education???

Always the best??

I've become so accustomed to opportunity, to having everything within hands reach as soon as I think it - that I won't settle for less. It's hit me now. As I cook dinner at a friends place and things don't go right. The power goes out. There's no grater for the zucchini. Someone scrapes off chopped (chunkily CHOPPED not MINCED!!) garlic into the pan. My trigger thought is "oh no! Now the dinner will suck; the garlic will be too noticeable, and not enough flavour will be extracted out of it. Nothing is prepared in the best way. It won't taste as good as, given the ingredients, it could.

Now that little scenario has got me thinking. One of my life principles is the justification But I just want to get the best of life! I've got to shop until I find the absolute best deal; til I find the best quality kitchen knives at the best special. I want to go on a sunrise-viewing expedition but it must be good weather, and for the experience to be 'worth it', must have selected the optimum location.  I would select classes that my friends are in but I have to organise my uni timetable in the way that maximises my freedom for other activities. Because that's the best way. But maybe the problem is all with me. There's a little boy on the other side of the world. He lives in a doorless hut, his single blanket every night is dirty. He doesn't get to choose where he lives and how convenient the location. He eats meals that have no variety, the same day after day. He doesn't get to choose the ingredients of dinner. He doesn't get to choose to go to the best school that offers the most opportunities and future chances. Heck, he'll be jumping for joy if he just gets to participate in school for enough years to receive a certificate! And he won't let what level of goodness he experiences dictate his life, it won't limit him. He doesn't have the best. he gets dished up hardly a fraction above the worst EVERY DAY. This little boy is named Tumusime, and he is my adopted-brother-in-Rwanda.

I'm sure he doesn't always have things the best, in fact I'm sure he hardly every experiences things as nicely as he theoretically could. So maybe having the best is not the point, it's not the priority. In Australia, one of the wealthiest most blessed pieces of land on this planet, we have the resources to do/make everything the very best. But it doesn't mean it's necessary. And it doesn't mean my life needs to be dictated by such a luxurious lifestyle.

I'm sorry, friends. Tonight, dinner will be satisfying, and that's enough. Even if its not the best food that I could ever dream up, it still tastes good.


Things don't always have to be the best.

There is Freedom.

There is freedom in writing. The pen is yours alone. You can say what you want. You can share you. People can respond how they wish, but it doesn’t change the fact that your soul is on paper. I love it.

I know another place there’s freedom. “Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom”  There is freedom from guilt, freedom from never ending pain, freedom to always dream again. And as the song continues 

/… to break every chain/

There is no limit when you’re living with the spirit of the Lord. When you’re living each moment through a God who has promised to never leave your side, when you’re letting God’s spirit infiltrate your thoughts. When you’re accepting the redemption Jesus offers and enjoying his limitless love. No recurring frustration or wrong has power to shackle you. Nothing can bind you. Because nothing has so much power that God’s greater, good, power can’t overshadow it. With the spirit of the Lord you CAN conquer; He says so and all we need to do is believe it’s true. Usually the greatest obstacle to freedom is our own doubt.

I have freedom, to live the good life. Anyone can have it :)

We are slaves no more, Freedom is our hope
Never looking back, Jesus You are Lord
We give all to You, We give all to You

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, There is freedom
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, Chains are broken
Eyes are open, Christ is with us...

(watch song)

Zooming in on the "why"

I recently saw this bit of text which gives clarity to my thoughts and reasons behind blog-creation:

"Blogs generate discussion. They provide a talking point. They open up minds to new ideas, alternative opinions and real issues. They enable people to share in ways which they might not otherwise feel comfortable. In my experience, blogs have given me a greater sense of a community fighting for justice and have encouraged me on days when I feel like it’s pointless or that I’m in it alone. In all these ways, blogs are invaluable…"

I sense that our tech-savvy society of instantaneous communication and familiarity places immature limitations on our vocabulary and deprives us of a depth of rich intelligence at times; it's easier at lunch to look at one's phone and laugh at a meme than to hold a robust or ethical discussion with a colleague. But beneath the shallow veneer oftentimes portrayed, is a depth that will never cease to exist: swirling thoughts - ponderings, questions, and dreams. There are so many possibilities that go unexplored,  sparks that aren't ignited, germs of ideas that aren't watered to maturity! There are opinions worth sharing, and thousands more words worthy of use. But, sometimes we forget to talk.

Or maybe we sense atmospheric pressures; we don't sense our friends rallying to our cause. It doesn't matter. This world is full of people. And surely some agree. So you can find them on the internet by starting a blog or a forum. But, on the other hand is the potential to make that cause greater - you could be brave. You could talk; with someone who doesn't agree initially; who knows?- their perspective may enable you to grow your idea; to see it in a different light; to articulate it more lucidly, and more passionately.

So I want to blog, connect with a wider world. But I also want to talk. Have better conversations. Conversations that lead to marks made in this world. Conversations that cause CHANGE!!

I hope that my blogging will not simply be an outlet for artistic expression but also a tool for growth in sharing myself more authentically: what drives my participation in life and this world as I see it. Here's to progress!