our dreaded shots

As we waited patiently in the waiting room of the travel clinic for our shots, Emily says to me, “how much longer?   I’m starving!”  Not the correct word to say to a mom who is planning a trip to Ethiopia.   I look at her, pause for a moment and say, “Emily, you are not starving.  Do you know what the word starving means?”  She looks at me, head tilted to the side,  and says in a long drawn out way  “Mom.”   “You should look it up?”  I tell her.

Here is what she found:

Starving:  To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food

I’m sorry my sweet Emily, you may have been hungry, but definitely not starving!

Starving is a word we use way too often in our house.  When our stomachs just begin to rumble, we’re instantly starving.  After the conversation at the doctors office, we tried to “live in their shoes for a day.”  I explained to the kids that most of the families living in a third world country are surviving on less than $1.50 a day.  And with that $1.50 they need to purchase their daily food, (for many this will be one meal) soap for themselves and to wash laundry.  With no electricity, they’ll need to purchase some form of light for their evenings.  And shelter, how about sleeping on the garage floor tonight with a few blankets to share between all of us?   How about walking for who knows how far to get fresh water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning?  And then pick out one, maybe two outfits to wear week after week, wash after wash.  Oh wait, electronics!  What are those to the African children playing with dirt and sticks.   As we sat eating our oatmeal for breakfast that day, thanking God it wasn’t going to be our last meal for the day, we realized living in their shoes for just one day was going to be tough for us and how blessed we are to have all of the wonderful extras God has given to us.   Lord, help us to remember the people who are suffering.  Help us to never stop desiring to do something about it.  Help us to never forget  how good and gracious You are!  Remind us each day to pause and give thanks to you,  for continually pouring out Your blessings into our lives.

Here are a few pictures of the kids getting their shots that day at the travel clinic

But poor Steve (who has a history of passing out at the doctors office for such things as this, but gutting a deer or skinning a rabbit, no problem!).   He started out great.  2 shots down 1 to go.   He tried so hard, but the sight of that last needle got the best of him.  His head started to get dizzy.  His stomach nauseous.  Before he knew it, he was laying across three chairs.  He finished his appointment in that position with a cold washcloth on his forehead, wastebasket near his side, and a glass of juice.

Emily's re-creation of the appointment, Thanks Em!