In spite of all the stuff I'm not, I have noticed a trend among the truly arty types of wearing crazy cute boots. Melody Ross from Brave Girls' Club wears them. Kelly Rae Roberts wears them. I might need some, too, I thought. So, I did a little search for boots. You should know that when you search for something on the internet, as soon as you find it and spend any time at all looking at it, it starts to follow you around every where you go saying, "Buy me! Don't you wanted to buy me? It seemed like you might want to buy me."
These are the boots that have been following me around the internet :::prepare to swoon:::
I love these boots. They are the boots that the brave girl in me wears. That girl who doesn't know that she's really not a girl anymore. The one who doesn't care that she's probably too old to wear crazy cool boots. The one who lets her hair go white and doesn't care what people think. I've had them in the cart more than once, which I'm sure is why they are stalking me. The bad news is that they are also crazy expensive.
I've worked pretty much all my life starting with babysitting when I was twelve, lawn mowing, cashiering at my parents' convenience store, working the counter at Dairy Queen, and all manner of other tasks as described in my very first post here on the blog. I've also been pretty poor. When I was in college at Texas A&M in College Station (where it's really hot and humid), we didn't have any air conditioning because my sister and I couldn't afford to get it fixed after the fire ants ate the wiring. My big splurge on payday was a cheeseburger meal at McDonald's. When we first got married, we started out broke. It's been a long haul from there. Because of all that, the worldly part of me says, "I deserve those boots!!!"
I've been saving my Christmas money for something especially special and extravagant.
However, those crazy boots cost more than some people in the world (in Malawi and Liberia, for example) make in a WHOLE YEAR! Earlier this week, I read this post on David and Kalina Raboin's blog, http://myraboins.blogspot.com/. The Raboins and their four little kids moved last summer far from their middle class home in Arkansas to Costa Rica to make a difference there and to plant a church. Kalina's stories about bugs,Velveeta deprivation, electric bills, and little legs walking to church are riveting. That particular post is about the extreme need she sees there every day from her new neighbors, how hard they work and how little they have. I did a little research. According to Worldbank.org, the average annual income in Costa Rica is $7,776. She reminded me how blessed we are and how much is required of us. (Luke 12:48)
They are doing amazing things there.
Things like this!!
"What hindereth me to be baptized?"
I believe we all have a calling, a purpose on this Earth. Some of us are called to far away lands to evangelize. Some of us are called to adopt orphans. And some of us are called to live where we live, make a difference where we are when we can, and work in regular jobs to help support them. So, I'm going to break my "especially special and extravagant" stash out of its not-very-secret hiding place and be fearless with it. Not to get some fancy boots that I'll only wear a few times, but to put it to work doing some good. Please pray about how you might help.
Until next time, I thank the good Lord for my friends here, ask Him to bless the Raboins in their work, and ask you also not to walk in fear, but to be bold with your gifts, whatever they are and whereever they take you.
<3 Lori
P.S. I'm really going to do art again soon.
P.P.S. I'm going to turn comments off on this post. I didn't write this for any kind of recognition or praise. I posted it because they have a need that I wanted to show I believe in enough to "put my money where my mouth is", as they say. Please read their story. Any tiny bit would be greatly appreciated. To donate, use the paypal button on the right side of their page.
