It’s all about transforming lives.
I’ve seen this in rural Kenya, as well as downtown in the city where I live in here in Florida. We all want to feel like we’re able to contribute to society in some way.
In fact, I could argue that one of the greatest sources of shame comes from the self-realization by someone that they’re a burden on other people. And a resulting source of frustration comes from not knowing how to change that circumstance.
That’s one of the reasons why I love programs and organizations who work to rehabilitate people into becoming a productive part of society.
But I think this is more than about recognizing the efforts of others in this work.
How does this impact any of the ministry work that you are involved in right now?
What’s your role in restoring hope and dignity in others by helping them become a more productive part of society?
How do you experience this in your own work?
Video source: TheHighCalling.org
In my personal life, my in laws have lost their sense of purpose. They have the kind of shame you are talking about here, but I don’t know how to help them find a sense of purpose. They seem to be wallowing, in fact. It’s very painful, but so far our role has been to keep appropriate boundaries and insist that it would be possible for them to be productive again.
this is exactly the reason why i was so impressed when i saw pastors in kenya who worked in job creation and economic development in their communities. i wish the church in the united states had more programs in job skills training and such that helped people develop the skills they need in order to get better jobs. even resume and interview classes would be helpful. i know that there are some out there who do this, but this seems to be a ministry that is largely missing in the church today in america.
VERY cool, Dan. Once again, I somehow managed to miss this over at THC. Sure wish there was a way to subscribe to that whole blog instead of pieces of it…Thanks for putting it here. My husband used to invest money for that fine organization, helping them to keep going and keep doing the good stuff they do.