True Scarcity

Examples of scarcity in my life:

1) Standing in line for FIVE hours to get the new iPhone

2) Shopping at every store in town trying to find a Wii for my dad for Father’s Day with no luck.  He ended up getting a tip that the Best Buy near his house was getting a new supply so he was the first one at the door the next morning.

3) Calling the book store today to make sure they would have enough of Breaking Dawn when it releases tomorrow.

Examples of scarcity around the world:

• More than 2 billion people lack access to electricity and modern forms of energy.

• More than 1 billion (one in five) people live on less than U.S.$1 a day.

• Roughly one-sixth of the world’s population, or 1.1 billion people, do not have access to safe water.

• One person in seven goes to bed hungry every day.

• Every day, nearly 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That amounts to one child every 5 seconds.

ht: Compassion

Wow!  That will challenge your perspective!  How do we reconcile this?

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14 comments

  • bradruggles August 1, 2008  

    Very challenging comparisons. We get upset when we have to do without our coffee in the morning or if the stores run out of a product we want. I’ve never even had to worry about whether or not I’d have a bed to sleep on, shoes to put on my feet or clean water to drink.

    We need to keep these kind of statistics on the top of our head to remind us that we’ve been blessed, not so that we could consume it on ourselves, but to share our blessings with others.

  • Nate August 1, 2008  

    Wow. Tim preached a message a couple Sundays ago that spoke of the same thing. We often feel like we’re struggling, but if we stop to look at what so many people do without, are our lives still something to complain about?

  • Michelle Wegner August 1, 2008  

    I was thinking similar thoughts to this this morning. I have a blog that is designed for a group of women that are studying the spiritual disciplines together. We are studying simpicity, and I listed all the things I think I can’t give up….I am way selfish.
    http://www.furtherupfurtherin.info
    :0)

  • Heidi August 1, 2008  

    WOW…

    What a good thought to go into on a weekend.
    WE compare ourselves to what we don’t have but forget there’s people who don’t have anything.

    WOW

  • brandiandboys August 1, 2008  

    great post, we are spoiled!

    thanks for pushing me to think!

  • ncarnes August 1, 2008  

    Great post!
    “How do we reconcile this?” – I don’t know!
    The only thing I can think of, as simple as it is (because I am simple) is to ACT.
    Everyone has to act and contribute to make a difference. Its not a religious thing or a political thing, its a ‘people’ thing, but I do think the church should lead the way, but these are the issues we should be trying to motivate “everyone” to do something about.

  • tam August 2, 2008  

    “How do we reconcile this?”

    i have NO idea.

    sometimes it gets frustrating feeling as if im just one little person, in a sea of people, fighting against the grain. how can i make a difference? what can i do that would be of any benefit? we sponsor and give in many ways. but it seems like things are getting worse by the minute. and i know that there are people like you, anne, los, the waxes…just about everyone here…doing all they can. is it enough? what else can we do?

    wait. this is your blog. oops, sorry.

    i just wish i had an answer.

  • Lisa August 2, 2008  

    “A man was walking along the beach one evening and saw a little boy throwing starfish that had been washed ashore by the tide into the sea. He thought the boy was silly in trying to save the starfish, as he knew it was impossible to throw every single one of the starfish back into the sea, with the tides washing them up.

    The man walked right up to the boy and asked him why he was trying to save the starfish.

    ‘You see sir; the starfish would die if they are left on the shore. They need to be in the sea in order to live,’ answered the boy with all the innocence of a child.

    ‘But son, how are you going to save all of them? Every time you put one back, another would be washed up. It doesn’t matter to them, son’

    The boy picked up a starfish, looked at the man and said, ‘But sir, it matters to this one.’ After saying that, he threw the starfish back into the sea. ”

    Each of us can make a difference, if only a small one. We are “seed planters”; God uses others to water, still others to provide the sunshine for the seed to grow. And occasionally we may get to reap the harvest of what others have sewn, watered, and provided the sun for. We may be the catalyst that finally leads one to Christ! Sew those seeds and leave the rest to God!

  • slimpundit August 2, 2008  

    I hate to be ridicule-ous but your list is quite shallow. I’m sure there are more productive things that you could be doing rather than standing in line for 5 hours to get a new iphone. It sounds like you’ve inherited the “inability to wait” super gene from your father. If your scarcity list is intended to draw attention to those less fortunate, you’d probably be better off not doing it while simultaneously boasting about your own.

  • Jenni Catron August 3, 2008  

    @slimpundit, that was the point that I was trying to make, I am too shallow. I needed to look at the things that I’m impatient about or have to wait for in relation to the real needs all around the world. I was attempting to share how I am trying to change my perspective.

  • slimpundit August 3, 2008  

    Without any attempt to understand your message from your perspective, I rendered judgment impulsively on you. Sitting on my sofa for more than 3 hours watching TV made me realize how obtuse and thoughtless that was. I’m glad I checked back… Your message is clear and admirable. Thanks!

  • Crystal Renaud August 4, 2008  

    i think we remedy it by not being the statistical American. by not living for things but for God’s people. i think the song Hosanna says it great, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause.” Call me crazy, but I don’t think its talking about stuff. 🙂

  • Jenni Catron August 4, 2008  

    @slimpundit – glad you checked back!

    @Crystal – EXACTLY! It’s not about our stuff, but “where our treasure is, there is our heart also”… in reflecting on the things that I felt like were consuming me, it became a time for a heart check.

  • JudiFree.com August 5, 2008  

    this post blows me away. I’ve done all of the things in your list and then I started reading the true scarcity list. blown away right now!