Jaw-Dropping Perspective Shift

I just read something shocking and I want to share it with you. I have no doubt you will find it as fascinating as I did, and that it will change your perspective as it changed mine.  I'm not sure who gathered this information, so I don't know whom to credit or I would happily do so.  Here goes.

If you could fit the entire population of the world into a village consisting of 100 people, maintaining the proportions of all the people living on the Earth, that village would be made up of:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (North, Central and South)
8 Africans

There would be:

52 women and 48 men
30 Caucasians and 70 non-Caucasians
30 Christians and 70 non-Christians
89 heterosexuals and 11 homosexuals

6 people would possess 59% of the wealth and they would all come from the USA
80 would be in poverty
70 would be illiterate
50 would suffer from hunger and malnutrition
1 would be dying
1 would be being born
1 would own a computer
1 (yes, only one) would have a university degree

Consider the following:

If you woke up this morning in good health, you are better off than the one million people who won't live through the week.

If you have never experienced the horror of war, the solitude of prison, the pain of torture, are not close to death or starvation, then you are better off than 500 million people.

If you can go to your place of worship without fear that someone will assault or kill you, then you are more fortunate than 3 billion people.

If you have a full fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are wealthier than 75% of the world's population.

If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse, you are one of 8 of the privileged few among the 100 people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are a rare individual.

If you can read this post, you are extremely fortunate because you aren't one of the 2 billion people who can't read.

Amazing stuff, isn't it? My question for you is how has this information changed your perspective. Please be sure and leave me a comment. I'm genuinely curious.  Thanks!

It's Deja Vu All Over Again!

It's been a few years ago now, but before the first book in "The Rhyme and Reason Series" came out, I was feeling very frustrated with how long it was taking for everything to come together so my vision could become a reality. There were a few times when I was tempted to take matters into my own hands and self-publish, or put out an audio book.  Something! Anything!  Each time I would make a move, the Lord would say to me, "Catherine, if you will not get ahead of Me, if you will not take matters into your own hands, if you will not give birth to an Ishmael, I will give you an Isaac."

I can't tell you how many times that caution kept me waiting on Him and trusting Him to move.  And eventually, He did exactly that. It was worth the wait after all.  The books are all I had hoped they would be and people's response to them have proven to be everything I had dared to hope.

During all the waiting I had innocently but foolishly assumed that getting the first book published would be the hardest part of the journey and that everything after that would be relatively easy. What I learned instead after climbing that first mountain and looking out from its peak--was that there was an entire mountain range stretching out before me! It was genuinely shocking to me to realize this journey was never going to be an easy one--even with the Lord in it!

I am irritated to find myself in the same position of frustration I was in with the first book as I wait for the Lord to provide the means for the series to continue. It's been two years since "Matthew" came out. I thought for sure I'd have 4-6 more books out by this point. It's been extremely difficult to figure out exactly what the Lord is doing and why He seems to be procrastinating again!

The good news is I have no choice but to wait on Him. I can't move forward on my own or, knowing me, I probably would! But I am reminded of His past faithfulness and resting in the fact that He always finishes what He starts--whether that involves my sanctification or the series.

And so I wait. And even though I am eager for provision and movement, I don't wait as one with no hope. I wait with confidence that God is in this and He is ever faithful. He moves according to His time table and not mine. He always has, He always will. Perhaps the lesson is learning to be grateful for  what He has already done and have faith for what He is yet to do.

I just wish I knew if learning it would move things forward again!