I’ve been in several countries now but Moldova is by far the poorest. Since I’m writing this in the car on the way to the airport, I don’t have time to go into detail about everything I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard but certain things have opened my eyes to the poverty in these countries.
One example: We were in a small village in Moldova hosting a Romania Missionary Fellowship Conference for pastors and church leaders when we took a break for lunch. We went to a small building across from the church where the women of the church prepared a meal of the best they had to offer.
In the room was a small family. The dad was helping his young children eat when one looked at him and opened his little mouth. With his mouth wide open and his tongue sticking out you could see that he had chewed up some food that he didn’t like and he wanted to spit it out.
The dad held out his hand and the adorable little blonde haired boy spit the pre-chewed food into his hand.
I thought it sweet that the dad would do that for the kid and was fully prepared for him to put the handful of grossness in a napkin.
But that’s not what happened.
He ate it.
Yep. Scooped it in his mouth and ate it right up.
Whoa.
I’ve used toilets that were only a hole in the ground, I’ve heard of families who live off one cow in their front yard, I’ve seen homes made of trash, but that was a whole new level of poverty than I’ve ever experienced.
Yet it’s not the greatest demonstration of poverty.
For that we look to none other than the richest person the world has ever known.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” -2 Corinthians 8:9
Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe, the firstborn of all creation, the holy One of Israel to whom angels fall before and who we will one day worship forever, became poor.
“Jesus took off the robe of His glory and He put on the robe of humanity.” -Michael Durham
The King of Glory became poor.
For us.
So we could be rich. What a Savior.
Grace abundant and free,
What a wonder–it reaches me.
My heart now soaring toward Your face,
I’m gloriously drowning in the oceans of grace.
Sophie Miller 