My Neighbor

The Colonias.

This is somebody’s home.

This was one of the nicer ones.

When I was in seventh grade I went on a mission trip to Mexico. I stared poverty right in the face and was completely broken over it. That trip changed my heart because witnessing true and real and devastating poverty does that to you. Touring through the Colonias on Tuesday brought all those feelings back. What was even worse – we weren’t in Mexico. It’s sad to say but I've seen it in Mexico, I would have expected it in Mexico… or been prepared for it at least. But, we were in The United States. Not eight miles down the road there was a mansion. A true legit mansion. It could have housed 50 plus people comfortably. It made me nauseous.

In the colonias there is no A/C. Some don't even have running water. Poverty is REAL. And it’s closer than people would ever think. There is poverty in TEXAS, in our own state!! After awhile I just couldn’t look anymore. Seeing those homes, some way worse than this one, just ripped my heart out. I am no better than whoever is living here. Yet, I’ve been blessed with so much – and I’m constantly taking it for granted.

Ignorance is bliss. How can I go back to my normal everyday life after seeing what I’ve seen? How can I go back to wanting a safe and secure job that will pay for a nice house and nice vacations and nice everything; A job that will bring me MORE money for things to make ME comfortable and to give ME more stuff. Stuff that won’t matter one day. Stuff that I will have NO need for in Heaven.

I can’t NOT do anything. These people are my neighbors. They’re your neighbors. Jesus tells us to love them. If you truly – honestly and truly- loved your neighbor could you stand to let them live without running water or electricity? Could you stand to see them fail at feeding themselves and their families? Could you stand to let your neighbor struggle at all?

I don’t know what I can do except try to live like Jesus. Try to honestly LOVE my neighbor. It’s hard. When you allow yourself to truly care for someone and willingly soften your heart just for it to be broken by somebody else’s pain, it physically hurts. So much would be different though, if everyone loved their neighbor the way that Jesus does.

Brittany.