Thankful - Day 16

This quote showed up in my Facebook newsfeed a couple of days ago:

"If you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it's public transportation), then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth." - "Radical" by David Platt

It's pretty obvious what I'm thankful for today - basic necessities that are so often taken for granted.  Food.  Shelter.  Water.  Clothing.  And even transportation.  I am truly wealthy in all that I take for granted.  (Now someone please tell the bank to stop calling me about late payments...)

There is some history behind this quote and the friend who posted it.  You know those tear-jerking commercials on tv with the children who have no food, have distended bellies, flies buzzing everywhere?  The ones that I frequently turn away from because they break my heart?  The ones that are coming on more and more now with the Christmas season coming up...and with the background music of John Lennon's "So This is Xmas (War is Over)"?  Well, I know a number of families who have sponsor children and TWO of these families have had the AMAZING opportunity to travel to meet their sponsor children over the last couple of years!!  I had the privileged of reading a summary of all that they were privy to when visiting the now young man who they have been sponsoring for the last 11 years or so.  What an amazing experience for them, and I am so thankful that they shared with me the details. 

And now for a bit of a confession.  I have a really hard time donating money to any sort of charity.  It stems from my dad and his frugalness, and some of the information I have heard about how much of the actual money gets to the child, child's family, etc.  When I know of a person who is personally visiting an area that needs help I will absolutely send money, basic necessities, whatever they want/ need/request because I trust that it will get there and a majority will go where I think it should go.  I absolutely understand that there are administrative costs, and other expenses to these organizations but I have heard just too many bizarre horror stories of the salaries of the CEOs of these companies and that holds me back.  I have done SOME research and, for example, on the Red Cross' own website they state that their president and CEO makes $500,000 annually.  They compare this to other large corporations, and no where does it state how much she gives back to the organization.  So here I sit.  I know that it's not yet time for New Years resolutions, but I am making one.  I want to sit down and research a few of these organizations and find out as much as I possibly can on the nitty-gritty of who makes what, where my actual money goes and then choose to sponsor.  Whether it's a child, an orphanage, a well for clean drinking water, or some farm animals to help a community grow, I am committing to this now.  I already have the basic necessities that so many are without - and I take them for granted, rarely making mention of my gratitude for them.  It is time to help others out.  Please help hold me responsible for this - I am definitely reserving a future blog post for this revelation! 

#30daysofthanks