Excess and Privilege 

“American privilege,
keeps blurring my vision,
inherited sickness.”
Allen Stone

Excess.

It’s all around me. 

In my closet, my newsfeed, my life. 

There are days I look around and am so aware of it that it’s almost suffocating. Yet the next day I think nothing of buying something I didn’t even know I wanted. I have moments where I am encompassed by overwhelming thoughts of my privileged life and just how unfair it is that my family’s daily struggles center around a fight over a Lego or where we should go out to eat while there are millions who don’t even have access to clean water. I mean, can you even imagine? We take it all for granted friends. At least I know I do. 

Here’s the thing, my eyes have been opened to the injustices in the world – the orphans, the oppressed, the slaves, the poor. I desperately want justice for the voiceless. Yet when it comes down to it, I embarrassingly stay rather complacent in my very comfortable life. 

It’s all just so overwhelming. 
How can I do more? 
Where do I start?
How do I add something to my plate with all my other responsibilities? 
What is the greatest need?
Can I really make a difference?

These are the questions that have been circling around in my head for about two years. And what have I done? Not much. I’ve helped out here and there, volunteered for a day or two, donated a little money, had conversations with my husband and children about philanthropy. But real work? Messy work? Nah. 

Two years. 

Seeing those questions in print really makes them look a lot more like excuses. 

See I’m surrounded by some pretty incredible people doing amazing things like running non-profits, helping struggling mothers get back on their feet, caring for foster kids, adopting children, creating inclusion programs for kids with disabilities, providing medical care to refugees, working to bring dignity to the homeless community, the list goes on. It’s big stuff. Fighting through the noise and excess each day, they are nothing short of heroes who have found a way to push the excuses aside and just say yes. 

Watching the work my friends are doing lights this incredible fire in me. So where do I go from here? Well I still don’t have that figured out yet but I’m sure thankful for the beautiful examples that have been perfectly placed in my life. 

Stay tuned.