Making a Difference

Yesterday was Making a Difference Day. It isn’t a huge thing, but I noticed it because the theme of Talents is Making a Difference.

I’d love to be able to finish my life knowing I made a difference for someone. Anyone. Sadly, most of the time we go through life without knowing the impact we have on the lives of those around us.

But every now and then, God pulls back the curtain and lets us have a glimpse of the difference we’ve made.

A couple weeks ago I shared some of the struggles our people at the refugee camp were facing. The rain was coming, but sometimes it was so heavy it washed away the seeds they had planted. They hadn’t had food rations in over a month.

I can’t do anything about either of those things. I can’t control the rain. I can’t feed 100,000 people.

But God can.

We came home from church after hearing the news about the food rations. We felt defeated. Anything we could do would be a drop in a very large bucket of what was needed. What could we do?

After talking with James and asking counsel from family, I felt led to write an email to the American Refugee Committee. They have offices out at the refugee camp and I’ve met people from America who were visiting through the ARC. I sent a carefully worded email that shared the problem our people were facing. 

I go no reply. Nothing. Not a word.

Today Zizi shared some news with us. Last Monday, a large group from several aid organizations including the ARC and Samaritan’s Purse, along with the UNHCR, arrived at the refugee camp in trucks loaded with food and supplies for the refugees. They notified everyone that they’d be having a food distribution that very morning.

When the refugees arrived at the distribution, they received their entire ration. This is huge because they’ve only been receiving half of their rations or less and not even that for the last month. Some of the refugees didn’t get everything they were supposed to get but another distribution took place later in the week that made up the difference.

Officials from these aid organizations met with the refugees and interviewed them to assess the situation. The refugees were able to tell them the extent of the needs.

I’m convinced all this happened because of a carefully worded email I sent the previous week. God helped people who could do something see it and act on it. God worked so the slow cogs of bureaucracy moved quickly and our people received much needed food.

God let me make a difference and He let me see the difference I’d made.

Last week, God used me to feed a refugee camp.

How did God use you to make a difference?