Fashion Shows, Funny Prayers and Frebreezed Closets

So, I went to a fashion show tonight. It was my second fashion show-the first one being the one I accidentally stumbled in on in that shopping mall in Paris. This fashion show was a lot better-I must say. For one, the clothes were 100x more modest. For two, it was for a great cause. For three, it wasn't playing bad, naughty music. For four, the clothes they were showing normal people could actually wear. For five, did I mention it was for a great cause.

The fashion show was put on by HUmanity. For those of who don't know, HUmanity is an organization here on campus that, at its core, works to make the world a better place. Besides having a very creative name (get it Harding University-er-Manity?, its been raising awareness about sweatshops and our favorite clothing brands that have been accused of using them. They have also begun a garden from which they will grow food to give to the poor-I think. They are also doing a lot of other cool things behind the scenes of the school.

The fashion show was to raise awareness about the sweatshop horrors going on in third-world countries. They showcased clothes that have been accused of being sweatshop manufactured and clothes that are 100% sewn out of "justice." The show also had several videos that informed the audience on the situation. Except, I'm not so sure how I feel about the whole underwear video. Something about recycled underwear just rubs me the wrong way (no pun intended).

Well, all the members of the show and all of the models did excellent jobs-even when faced with EXTREMELY disrespectful protesters who felt the need to interrupt one of the speaker's testimonies by throwing fliers into the air and screaming "for the children". The fliers were just a bunch of bogus information that nobody with a good, sane mind and caring heart would believe. But enough about them-they don't really matter. Back to the show.

Like a said before-the show was good. It kept me interested. However, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. For one, I saw the Invisible Children documentary last night that was very inspiring and very moving. For two, its "Struggles of the Faith" in the Chapel and so testimonies are both depressing and uplifting. For three, I found out that sweatshops are still in existence and some of my favorite brands have been accused of using them. For four, my car broke down again and it is being a big pain in the rear. Needless to say, I've been on some emotional roller-coasters this week. And I'm not a big fan of roller-coasters.

And so I'm feeling like there are just too many problems in the world for anyone to handle. Child soldiers, sweatshops, world hunger, economic crises, global warming,human sex trafficking, the whole state of Northern & Central Africa in general, mass poverty, AIDS outbreaks, ever-present Middle East conflicts, genocides, potential nuclear wars...

And I just discovered on the Discovery Channel that wild hogs are growing freakishly larger and invading small southern towns.

Oh, crud.

So, what's a college student to do? I guess I could grow out dreadlocks, learn to drink coffee, debate politics in coffee houses with bongo-slapping urchins, start wearing itchy clothing made by Mayan seamstresses, permanently mold my right hand into making the peace symbol, and hold up signs with cunning slogans at protests. But, that's not really my personality. Besides, coffee makes me constipated and I don't have the cheek bone-structure for dreadlocks.

What I can do is pray about it.

And I don't mean lay in bed-offer up a quick "Oh, and God, please be with the abducted child soldiers in Africa" before I snooze off before an Amen. I mean I could seriously pray.

By praying seriously, I mean closing my-self in my closet, sitting on the nasty, febreeze-soaked floor and opening my mind to God. Whatever comes to mind-I pray about. A good friend of mine taught me that.

We can protest, boycott, kick and scream all we want. But if you want to save the world, and I mean the whole world, you've got to give to the only person who can save it. On our own, left to our own devices, humans will fail. It's a fact of life...a depressing and kind of maddening fact of life...but a fact of life none-the-less.

Stop asking "How can there be a good, All-Mighty God, when there is so much evil in the world?" and start asking "How can I stop pouting, roll up my sleeves and ask God to help me make the world a better place?"

Last night, I prayed one of my unusual prayers. I love unusual prayers-they are so un-churchy (P.S. I hate it when people use the term "and let it be a nourishment unto our bodies"-we're eating fried chicken and buttered rolls for crying out loud!). They are real-I think they're the kind of prayers God wants us to pray.

So, I prayed for God to give the missionaries in Africa miraculous powers. I asked God to give each and every one of them the power to heal, to protect those they are ministering from harm, and to really just make Africa a better place in general. And, as everybody knows, Africa could use a few miracles. And, I fully have faith that God will fulfill my requests. Because the true missionaries-those who are not faint of heart, but mighty in spirit, those who are willing to put their lives and the lives of their family members on the line for the sake of the Gospel-they will give glory to God and not boast about their gifts. And the Africans will see God still loves them.

I've prayed much weirder prayers-and they have come true-, mostly in ways I didn't expect.

So, if you're looking for a way to save the world and you're not quiet sure how to take that first step-start out by closing your-self in a dark closet and giving God an unusual prayer.