Lens refocused

So. Two nights ago I helped charity by eating sushi. This is what my roommate Kristin terms "a perfect situation" for me. I love to help people, I love to eat sushi. I love the combination. Especially when it's at Agami. Eat there, people. It's pricey, but FABULOUS. The green turtle roll is so good, and so cute. Sushi doesn't need to be cute, just great. If it's both, bonus!! Anyway, there was a Share-A-Meal Fundraiser, where 30% of our proceeds went to benefit Community Shares of Illinois, a charity clearinghouse for Illinois, and 10% of that went to the location of our choosing. We chose Korean American Women in Need, because they were the representatives at Agami, and also because they work with domestic violence survivors and providing services for women, which both Scott and I support wholeheartedly. Doing just this little thing reminded me (so now I'm reminding you) to keep an eye out in the Metromix and newspaper for more opportunities to benefit these charities. If I'm always going to be eating out, which is a luxury beyond compare, it's good to have some of that helping others.

Last night, I started to get stressed out about my internship placement for next year, and the fact that I have a huge project due at school in less than a month, and I have yet to start on it. And then, as I was perusing the magazines I haven't read in more than a month (I know, I should have been using this time to do the school project...I need a break!!), I ran across an article in my church's denominational magazine about the crisis in Darfur. Now, if you know my friend Jake (link to the right), you have heard lots about Darfur and the crisis there. If you don't know Jake, visit www.savedarfur.org to get caught up on this horrendous human rights crisis, and to find out how you can get involved. The article in the magazine was short, but was written by a photographer, and included his photos from the region, sad pictures from the refugee camps. I had the opportunity to meet a family from Darfur the other day, the nicest people I could ever imagine. They are a fabulously beautiful family, and when I look into the absolutely gorgeous faces of the children who threw their arms open to hug me without ever meeting me before, I cannot help but think that I have no idea what stress is. These people, who have overcome great odds to even leave the refugee camps, have been persecuted and oppressed to a level that I cannot even imagine. And suddenly the things on my mind become much less than significant. I went to bed last night thinking of the hundreds of thousands of children still left in those refugee camps, sleeping on the ground. God is there. And He wants to use my hands to serve them. Maybe through hugs, maybe through letters to the UN or President Bush. Definitely clasped in prayer. And hopefully, someday, a visit to the other side of the world to see what need looks like for myself, and using my hands and feet to help in whatever way I can.