How to Find Happiness and Change the World

"You are wasting your time!" the angry voice shouted. "You should spend your time working to end childhood hunger.", he yelled at me and my children as he walked by. We were standing in peaceful prayer vigil in front of Planned Parenthood with signs that read, "Pray to end Abortion".

I thought of the irony of his comment. Didn't he realize I was a mother of five? I had done more to end childhood hunger since breakfast that morning than this young man had likely done in his entire life. I started to feel defensive, thinking of all the ways I work to fight childhood hunger. 

But when I thought about it, I realized he was right. More is needed.

Yet the fact is that the issue of hunger and abortion are not so separate as one might think. It is not a lack of food or the potential to grow food in our world that causes people to go hungry. It's a lack of love. According to 1 Corinthians 13, love is not self-seeking. The problem of hunger in our world is not caused by a shortage of food. It's because there are not enough of us thinking about others interests, instead of merely our own. The problem with abortion stems from the same root. 

The good news is we can help. What will that look like? Well, sometimes it looks like standing as an advocate for someone who has no voice, sometimes it looks like feeding the hungry, and sometimes it looks like turning the other cheek. The most helpful example for us as believers is Jesus: 

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant." Phil 2: 4-7

When we live our lives looking for ways to serve others we mirror Christ. Today I am thankful that there are so many people in our churches, our communities and our nation doing this. There are over 20 organizations in my home town that feed the hungry. How awesome is that?  If actions really do speak louder than words, let us silence all the rioting, bigoted, haters with the power of selfless love. 

Here's a few places to start if you want to help: 

http://spokanecares.org/free-meals-spokane.php

https://www.justserve.org/

P.S. I call getting involved by serving selfless, but that's not totally true. Serving is that one of the fastest ways to turn our attitude around. If you are feeling sad about the elections, try getting involved in your community. We had a friend who invited us to help make sandwiches for the homeless. and another friend who watched my little kids so I could go. It was so uplifting to come together and to be surrounded by people who didn't know each other who were working to help people they didn't even know. There are good-hearted people in our communities, more so than we might think if we watch too much news. Get involved. It will make you feel better!