She is 80 years old. Her very presence sucks all the arrogance out of the room as she stands, absolutely regal in her utter humility. Overwhelmed by the standing ovation from the more than 10,000 people jumping to their feet in acknowledgement of the presence of greatness, she slips to the floor and kneels, with her face pressed to the ground. She is Mama Maggie Gobran.
Mama Maggie led a comfortable life in Cairo as an educated woman for many years. A Coptic Christian from a prominent Egyptian family, she taught computer science and lectured at Cairo University. But, following a call from God, she dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor in an area called Garbage City. This is not like anything WE do here. I have been in Garbage City--the stench, the situation is overwhelming. There children are born, live, eat, sleep, die, and scavenge among the piles and piles of refuse and rotting trash, without ever leaving that place. She has served and loved there in Jesus' name for the last 20 years. A Nobel Peace Prize nominee this year, Mama Maggie's humble wisdom overwhelmed me.
One piece of wisdom from her life shared at the Leadership Summit today was one I have learned, too. She said, "When we do something to help the poor have a better life, they help us become better people." Wow. That is as true as anything I have ever heard. It's a great exchange. I have been poor before, and have been on the receiving end of help. I will always be grateful to those who reached out to make my life better. But, for some time now, I have been on the giving end of things. Tomorrow I get the privilege of trying to help the lives of some folks in our community get better as our church has a massive LEAP giveaway. But here's what I already know. Mama Maggie is right. When the day is over, and nothing is left but some trash, a few lost socks, sore feet and aching muscles, I will be a better person. I will have received so much more than the folks I came to help. It's a great exchange, and I definitely get the better gift.
1 comment:
Your words speak the truth as always. I'm so blessed to be apart of this event & am so excited to do what I can to help those who really need it. Thank you for your heart and for following God's call on your life.
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