They were Mocha Club shirts, which we had actually been thinking about buying, but hadn't yet taken the plunge.
At first, I thought Heather bought them, but that wasn't the case. Then, I wondered if I bought them and just forgot (which is very possible) but I looked at the bank statement online and that wasn't the case either.
So, we began quietly wondering who the secret Santa was. Heather had a couple of guesses and I had one.
Well, Wednesday I was having lunch with my guess and when he slyly brought up the Mocha Club video that we posted on the blog a few weeks ago, I figured I must be right. He confessed.
Heather and I would like to sincerely thank Lynn and Cissie! They fit perfectly...
I'd like to share what's printed on the shirt:
When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here," I think. "They have so little, and I have so much." It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people. It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.
The images spilling out of my television showed circumstances that could seemingly only equal misery, and I was fooled. I bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness. The truth is, in Africa I find hearts full of victory, indomitable spirits. In places where despair should thrive, instead I find adults dancing and singing, and children playing soccer with a ball crafted of tied up trash. Instead of payback, I find grace. Here, weekend getaways are not options to provide relief from the pains of daily life. Relationships and faith provide joy. Love is sovereign.
My new reality… I know now that my joy should have no regard for my circumstances. I'm ashamed by my lack of faith, but at the very same moment I am excited by my new pursuit. I'm forced to redefine the meaning of having much or having little. I'm uneasy with the prospect of change and of letting go, but just the thought of freedom is liberating. I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart - I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.
I'm not saying that Africa does not need our efforts. It absolutely does need our partnership. But for me, I've come to understand that I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME. Why? Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart. I've learned that I don't need what I have and that I have what I need. These are just a few of this continent's many lessons. I came here to serve and yet I've found that I have so much to learn, and Africa, with all its need, has much to teach me.
The line that reads, "I bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness" resonates with me. Every time I catch myself longing after more stuff, or a nicer this or a nicer that to make me happy, and everytime I'm sad, I forget what has already been done for me on the cross. I forget that God offers everlasting joy that is not dependent on the circumstances of my life, however good or bad they may be.
-Brian
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