Everybody lives by faith.
It’s a bold statement, and some might disagree with me, but I believe that with every action and outcome, we understand the world through our beliefs in what we know to be true. It could be the belief that your car will get you from your house to the grocery store; the belief that eating a balanced diet and exercise will keep you healthy; the belief that you were meant to be an elementary school teacher, even when your job applications keep coming back as “denied.”
Everyday we live by our faith.
That faith is what inspires our dreams. And it’s the dreams that are backed by intention that come to fruition. The dreams where our passion is dripping through the cracks of the broken holes of our humanity, trying to fill the patches of pain with instances of joy.
When you believe with all your heart that you have the capacity to bring joy to this world, you are dreaming with conviction.
This summer, I had the chance to work with an amazing nonprofit organization called These Numbers Have Faces, a group working to empower South African youth through education. During my first week, I heard the story of a young South African woman named Busisiwe. After listening to her interview, my cheeks were flushed and my eyes remained fixed on the TV screen. Here was a girl, around my age, who lives halfway around the world - in a totally different culture, who has had a host of experiences that differ from my own - and yet, we share a connection. We are both orphans.
But the connection is more than just the mere fact that our families have both passed away when we were far too young. It is how we have dealt with our circumstances that truly connects us.
When Busisiwe spoke about her life, she began by talking about the things that she loves: singing, writing poetry, watching soccer. She is a young woman who sees abundant beauty in life, even when tragedies like death, disease and violence occur. Although Busisiwe lost her family members is different ways than I did, she talked about the importance of living each day by honoring them - honoring them with her will to survive, her drive to impact her community and rise up as a leader. Like her, I have a dream to impact my community in a positive way.
Currently, Busiswe is studying financial accounting at the University of Western Cape. Throughout her life, she has seen a world of poverty, crimes of hatred and blatant acts of injustice. She could choose the route of letting the world pass her by, sub cumming to the hardships of life and letting sin drown away the troubles.
But she’s not taking that route.
Busiswe has a dream - a dream to rise up and be a leader in her community. Through the pursuit of her education and her walk with God, she is showing the world what can happen when you live by faith.
While not all of us will face the death of our families when we are children, or watch our government discriminate against another race, simply because of differences in skin color, we all will face hardships that will test us, that will rattle our dreams and challenge us to see how strong our conviction really is.
Busisiwe has a dream. I have a dream. And I’m hoping you do, too.
As dreamers and people of faith, we have the chance to show our love and encouragement to those around us. It’s an honor and a privilege.
I can’t begin to describe how blessed I feel to know Busisiwe. Her conviction in her dreams is truly inspiring. Being able to support her through her university education is just one way of showing her that I too believe in her dreams. As a dreamer, I hope that you will stand with us in support of Busisiwe’s dream to change her community to a place of peace, love and joy.
Join us in raising Busisiwe’s college tuition, helping fuel her dream, that I have no doubt will go on to become a beautiful reality.
Check out more of the great work that These Numbers Have Faces is doing through their week long remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr.
$15,000