a lesson 25 years in the making...

In 1985, I was 12 years old. I didn’t know much about things that went on in the world outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. That year a song came out that changed my life. The song was called “We Are the World”. I remember all the publicity surrounding the song and the message for which it stood. What I remember the most, though, is that I loved the song not for its message or for the cause it was supporting, but for the all-star line-up of singers who were involved in it. At that point in my life, music was very important to me (still is today!). To have a song that combined the talents of some of my favorite singers like: Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Tina Turner, Steve Perry, Cyndi Lauper, Dionne Warwick, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and yes…even Michael Jackson, was almost unfathomable to me. I LOVED that song….I had it on a 45 record and even had a t-shirt (which I STILL have around here somewhere). The song has always been special to me, even though I didn’t hear it for several years.
Now, 25 years later…..the song has become even more special to me than it was back then. The reason is somewhat ironic. The thing I didn’t really understand back then was the point of the song: there are people in the world (especially Africa) that are far less fortunate than most. They are poor, they are hungry, they are sick, and they are dying. That’s what “We Are the World” was about….it’s up to us to do something about it. Now as a man of 37 years old, I FINALLY get it. I recently felt the need to sponsor a child in Africa. I wanted to do something to make a difference in the life of a child who really needed it. As a result, I have spent a good portion of the past 2 weeks learning about the place where this precious little boy lives. Some of the things I have learned have rocked me to my very core. It is safe to say that a difference has already been made in MY life because of him. I have spent a lot of time researching the organization through which I sponsor this little boy. I have spent hours on their website and their Facebook page reading stories about children and families who are in dire need and the people who are helping to make a difference in their lives. I cannot begin to describe the feeling in my heart these past couple of weeks, it has been nothing short of amazing. You see, it IS up to us. It’s up to us to do whatever we can to help these people. I honestly believe it’s what life is all about….making a difference in someone else’s life. I am thankful for what God has placed in my heart these past two weeks and pray that I will always be willing to do what I can to help those in need. It’s my duty. It’s my honor. It’s my privilege. It’s my responsibility. It’s OUR responsibility. Why? Because we ARE the world!

(A couple of months ago, they did a re-make of “We Are the World” to help people who were affected by a devastating earthquake in Haiti. They did a great job, but nothing will ever touch the power of the original in my mind. Here are the amazing lyrics sung by the amazing stars who made it a reality.)



"We are all a part of God's great big family.......there's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives. It's true we make a better day, just YOU and ME!"

If you would like to learn how you can make a difference by sponsoring a child in need, please visit World Vision International: http://www.worldvision.org