Okay, this one has a reason behind it's making. For English we had to read A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey, and then complete a variety of tasks, one of the options being write the lyrics for a song, the actual composition not necessary. So I did.
In RagsVerse 1:
Have you ever been to the city,
Where people sleep on the streets
And the beggars in rags do cry
Please, don’t just pass me by!
Chorus:
Riches in your pockets,
The poor left on the streets
Spare a thought for those unfortunate,
Who in rags beg at your feet
Food in your bellies, wine for your thirst,
But the unfortunate souls go hungry this night.
Verse 2:
Do you know what it is like elsewhere,
In a place like Africa,
Where children are dying alone
Whilst your kids are at school.
Verse 3:
Spare a thought for the helpless children
No drink of water or wine
Illness takes them, leaving them dead
With no one when they died.
Chorus:
Riches in your pockets,
The poor left on the streets
Spare a thought for those unfortunate,
Who in rags beg at your feet
Food in your bellies, wine for your thirst,
But the unfortunate souls go hungry this night.
Final Chorus:
Riches in your pockets,
The poor left on the streets
Spare a thought for those unfortunate,
Who in rags beg at your feet
Food in your bellies, wine for your thirst,
But the unfortunate souls go hungry this night.
But the unfortunate souls go hungry this night…
We also had the option of writing an email, and it’s reply about struggles and hardships of life.
To: Miryum Sandori <
-email->
From: Anna-Lucia Menderr <
-email->
Subject: Struggles and Hardships of Life
Dear Miryum,
Why is life so hard? Why is it that we have so much, too much, that children are dying? I was reading a magazine article about an 8 year old boy in Africa, who was raising his 5 year old sister, and the 2 year twins, a little boy and girl. It said he had to walk 7km just to get clean water, carry a huge jug full of water on the way back. He also goes off to work in the fields, earning very little, using the small amount he earns to feed his siblings, often only having a tiny bit himself , giving most of his to his family, sometimes only having enough money to get food for one meal a day. And then one day he got really sick, malaria, I think it was. And still he tried to care for his family. He and his 2 year old sister died from the disease. The 5 year old and little boy were left in the dirt hut for two days with their bodies before the boy’s employer stopped by to get him to get back to work, finding the bodies and the starving children. He took the little ones in, but I can’t help but wonder at all the other children, in the same situation who weren’t helped out. I want to do something, but I don’t know what I can do. Life is so unfair, especially to those African children. And I was thinking I had it bad when my boyfriend dumped me! At least I can still get food and water, but those children…
From a Frustrated Friend,
Anne
To: Anna-Lucia Menderr <
-email->
From: Miryum Sandori <
-email->
Subject: Re: Struggles and Hardships of Life
Dear Anne,
I understand how you feel Anne. I too read that magazine article, and I felt helpless. But I thought about it. There are a few things we can do to help people in situations like that. There are many charity and fundraising groups around, who willingly accept donations. I personally sponsor a village, which helps to get people an education, proper buildings, food crops and clean drinking water wells. So maybe you can do the same, and it may help you to feel as if you are doing something to help the less fortunate. But even more importantly you can pray for them. In the Bible, there is a passage which speaks of the less fortunate, Matthew 25:40, “…Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me- you did it to me.†So by helping out another person, who is less fortunate than you are, it is as if you are doing it to Jesus. You wouldn’t walk right past Jesus, so you shouldn’t walk past the people less fortunate than you are, you wouldn’t ignore Jesus, so those who are poor and sick, you should help care for. It’s in this way Anna-Lucia that you can help those children and others like them. Also from the Bible is a verse that says ‘Do unto others what you’d have done to you’. So if you want people to care for you, then care for others, no matter who they are. The Bible speaks of hardships as being like a test of faith; that we will go through many hardships before we can enter the kingdom of God. The greatest of these hardships would have to be bearing our sins- and being helpless when it comes to others. But Jesus died to save us, He took away our sins, He died for those children. So there is always the option of sharing the Gospel with them, doing the best thing you could ever do for them, even greater than food or water- giving them an opportunity to meet God. Matthew 6:19-21 and 24 says: ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’ These verses aren’t talking about just money- it’s talking about all earthly things. If we live for the latest fashion or the latest game, we aren’t living our lives for God, aren’t thinking about others in need. But if we put God first, He will help us through our hardships, and if we pray to Him, He will help to guide us on the right path, to how we can help those little children. Just pray, and God will help pull you through when you need Him, just like the Footprints in the Sand poem. Love and pray for those children, but never forget them,
Love from,
Miryum
