Dutton's- Why Me?

WHY ME??????

WOW!!!  The last 4 months was an incredible, challenging, heart wrenching, and growing time for our family.  God showed us so much, humbled us, and motivated us to give our lives even more for the plight of the poor and orphaned.  As we flew away, one thing that was heavy was the following question: 

 "Why Me"???   Why did God give us so much?  Why are we born in a free country?  Why do we have food for ourselves and our children?  A roof over our heads?  Clean drinking water?  Our health?  A warm bed?  Good food?  Why are our streets clean?  Why aren't my kids suffering from one disease after another?  Why isn't my whole family dying of different diseases?  Why aren't the floors of my house mud?  Why do I have a place to live at all?  Why do I have a kitchen with a fridge, and water on demand, and an oven?  Why do I have a bathroom?  Why haven't I lost all 4 of my kids to Malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, or water borne illnesses?  WHY???

We like to justify all the reasons as to why, (I think it makes us feel better) but honestly, there is not one answer that fully makes sense. To continually walk by suffering, hungry people and then walk into your house and make your children a nice meal, take a warm shower, and climb into bed, day in and day out, makes you say "why me"?  To see orphans lying in a crib day in and day out with no one to hold them, or rock them, or feed them and then see your kids so blessed by love is difficult. (Let alone to see so many families able to give them a loving home, and haven't...yet  :o) ).  To see a mother begging for food, and living in a mud hut that is filthy, and then walk into your nice home.  WHY ME????   It's something you can't understand unless you live it out daily, standing face to face with the suffering, and then walk back into your comfortable world away from much of those struggling just to live.  At the outdoor market, I walked by a young child.  He had no legs, and was wearing a hood over his head, as though he was hiding underneath it.  He just sat there begging, a little ball, face to the ground under his hood. 

MY HEART JUST BROKE! 

I bent down, lifted up his head, and looked in His eyes.  Those eyes, WOW, that's another story in itself.  I smiled at him, told him Jesus loved him, and gave him some food, and a small scripture card.  I then prayed for him, and walked away.  But long after I was gone, the image of his face haunted me...for days.  Why is he there?  What happened to his parents? Where did he sleep last night?  How does he get out of the rain?  Where does he find food, he can't even walk? 

How is he alive???

 What about the lady I sat next to with flies all over her, who was dying, and did die soon after.  Did she have kids?  What about the elderly man who sat there on the street with bloody limbs, hoping for someone to give him some money to buy food.  Without a cane, how can he go and get food?  Where does he drag himself at night?  And the list of stories could go on and on and on...they were daily...

While I could tell you, and do tell you all the amazing stories of what God is doing there, and the amazing miracles happening daily, like the little baby healed of HIV, God has a different message that He wants me to bring.  A challenge so to speak. Now before you delete, or move onto the next email, just hold on a bit.  Because the message is vital, and it's for you and for me. 

Its life and death for those who are on the other end of our faithfulness. 

In light of asking myself why, the Lord has so clearly shown me, that it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to help these people.  God hasn't blessed us so we can spend our resources on ourselves while people are dying.  He has not given us a great paying job so we can spend our money on nice cars, big houses, vacations, clothes, and toys while many brothers and sisters in Christ are DYING OF STARVATION!!!!

  Believe me, I've been guilty of all these things.  But, the fact of the matter is, He has given us much so that we would give much to others.  We aren't entitled to all we earn.  He has ENTRUSTED us with His resources to do with it as HE DECIDES. 

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God"...2 Cor 9:11

This is not to say we aren't allowed to drive a nice car, or own a nice house, etc.  What it is to say is this:  "Do we spend more on our new car payments than on the poor"...  "Do we spend more on our vacations, or remodeling our home, or buying toys than we do on the poor"..."Do we spend more on our kids sports, school clothes and pleasures than we do on the poor"...

  Please hear me when I say Im guilty.  God has had to remove a lot in our lives over that past few years, to open our eyes to the reality of how we, and most American Christians are living our lives, and spending our resources.  My job isn't to judge or condemn, but it IS to challenge and to open eyes, the way that God has opened ours, to the reality of what is happening because we are too busy living in the bubble of the American dream.  Yes, John and I used to give a lot of money to the poor, but we also gave more to ourselves.  Yes, we spent a lot helping the orphan, but we spent more of our resources on a bigger house than we should've bought.  Why didn't we buy a simple place, and give the rest to the poor, or use the extra to build an orphanage, etc.???  Couldn't we have bought an older car, or went on a simpler vacation, or been content with our house in its current condition? 

   While I'm learning to not feel guilty for enjoying his blessings alltogether , God has taught me that I must first seek His kingdom, help His people, and be faithful with His resources, and then AFTER I've done ALL THE LORD HAS REQUIRED WITH THE THINGS HE'S ENTRUSTED ME WITH, I'm free to enjoy the remaining amount on all the wonderful things He has given us.  I'm free to enjoy going out to eat, or buying a new outfit, or take a vacation.  But most importantly, I must be faithful to Him and to those whose lives depend on my faithfulness, with what God has blessed me with. 

There is so much need, and we can do nothing less than give Him our all:  our resources, our time, our material possessions, our everything!!! 

Will you join us?????

  "And now, O LORD, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the LORD your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him"...Duet 26:10

NEEDS:

• Funds for the girls shelter- We are hoping to open the girls shelter immediately and need $5000 for the first 6 months of rent, and to purchase beds for the girls. The girls are already being solicited so its important to get them off of the streets ASAP. 
• Personal needs- We need funds to help get settled back in the states.  We left a lot of our items at the guesthouse in Ethiopia, and are also still figuring out how we will get to Ohio at the end of this month
• Prayer-  We need to be covered in prayer as a ministry and as a family.  Please pray for his protection, provision, and wisdom for both the ministry and us.  Pray for our missionaries and for Gods continued leading in every area of our lives. 

To Donate visit our website at http://www.duttonfoundation.org/ and click on the donate page. 

Thank you all so much for your love, prayers, and support.  We are so grateful for every one of you!!!!!