the other 73

Sometimes the Lord just stops me in my tracks. Not in the, "brings-something-to-mind-but-can-go-on-about-my-business" sort of way. Rather the "can't-do-a-single-thing-until-I-take-a-moment-to-listen" sort of way. The other morning, I was stopped dead in my tracks. I know I won't be able to communicate why very well. Yet, I have to jot it down.

For a week now my heart has been heavy from hearing the story of Nate Henn. He was watching the championship game of the World Cup like Luke and I were. The only difference was that he was half way around the world in Africa. While we were watching the game from the comfort of our living room, the watching party that he was at was attacked and Nate didn't make it out alive.

Something about this man's story has really weighed heavy on my heart and I feel a sense of closeness to him and his family.

It's not because he shares mine and Luke's birth year. Or that I have a sister that travels internationally quite frequently. It's not even because he represents an organization that Luke and I have kept up with since our early high school years. I think that it's because God has used his story to bring to life something that my friend Jenna told me she heard during one of our weekly phone conversations recently.

"When one person dies, it's a tragedy. When thousands die, it's a statistic."

You see, I had heard there was an attack in Kampala. I heard that over 70 people were killed. I am ashamed to say that I didn't think a whole lot more about it (have I become too desensitized??).

Then I heard Nate's story.

And my heart sank. For his family. For his girlfriend. For those that his life and selflessness were impacting in a mighty way. I could not get it off of my mind. It was a tragedy. Then the Lord whispered something in to the depths of my heart.

"What about the other 73? They are mine too."

It's been on my heart and mind and quite honestly I couldn't bring myself to blog because I knew this was all that I could write about until I got it off my chest. I am not sure really what it means. Or what the Lord is trying to show me. All I know is that the "other 73" have stories. They have family grieving their loss. They matter too.

It's heart wrenching to hear that 26,000 children die of preventable diseases around the world every single day. When it's such a high number like that it is almost impossible to fathom. For a moment I thought of all the children in my life. Would I be moved to action more if I knew them? Or even if I knew their stories like Nate's?

What will it take for me to realize that 26,000 children, who have mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, some who share my own daughter's name, or birthday with my daughter die every day??

All I know is that I am responsible.