Convo's with Pastor - Deuteronomy 15:11

(The Lord-through-)Moses says,

There will always be some in the land who are poor.

That is why I am commanding you to share freely

with the poor ...

Deuteronomy 15:11

 

As soon as I read that passage, I couldn't help but think of similar (but rather different) words from Jesus in Matthew 26.

 

Let's remember the context first: Just before his death and burial, a loving, weeping, forgiven woman anointed Jesus. Judas, of course, complained about the waste of this very costly perfume. "It could have been sold and the money given to the poor," said the betrayer. But in a hint of what was to come, scripture tells us that Judas didn't care about the poor; rather he kept the disciples' common purse and was embezzling money.

 

Now compare Moses words, "There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor ..." with Jesus' response to Judas: "11 You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."

 

On the surface, these two verses seem to contradict each other. But let's add them together, nonetheless: "Give to the poor. Unless you need to give to Jesus first."

 

But wait! That's not our final equation. About twenty verses before Judas' outburst, Jesus had just finished instructng Judas -- and the rest of his followers: "25:40 Whenever you [fed the hungry, visited the prisoners, welcomed the strangers, or clothed the naked], you did it unto me."

 

Therefore, our new addition reads, "You need to give to Jesus first, and one of the best ways to do that is by giving to the poor."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to remember

Hebrews 13:2

 

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,

for by doing that some have entertained angels unawares.

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For many years I have been involved with Compassion International.  This organization helps to meet the physical, emotional, health, educational and most importantly - spiritual needs of children in third world countries ... the least of these.   Sponsorship is a 1:1 relationship with a child. Each child has but one sponsor - You - and so looks forward to hearing about your life, getting encouragement from you, knowing that someone is praying for them.  There is a monetary commitment that goes to the child via the project to help provide food, clean water, education, medical care, spiritual care, etc. 





You can show the love of Jesus to a little one starting today. If you need more information, please get in touch with me.

... in honor of Ibrahim, Gashaw, Rabina, Anmut and Yolanda ...

The Difference We Make

By now you know that Compassion International is one of my passions.  I have decided to write about Compassion once a week.  I just returned home from an advocates retreat in TN and was going to write about that, but a friend told me a story that I just have to share. 

LC's story ...

LC and her family started sponsoring a little girl in South American several years ago.  Recently, they received a letter and photos from Arianna.  At first glance of the photos, LC thought, "Wow. To be considered so poor, they don't have it too bad."  The photo showed the inside of a house with cinder block walls, a small stove, cooking utensils, table, chairs, a window.  Basically - a solid house with supplies to care for a family. 

Then, as LC looked at the photo ... she realized that she had received a thank you note for every. last. item.  Thank you for the walls - they are now sturdy cinder block instead of mud.  Thank you for the stove - we can now have hot meals. Thank you for the rug - we don't have to walk on dirt inside. Thank you for the roof - we are safe from the sun and rain. Thank you for the table and chairs where we can gather as a family.

Compassion International is so much more than child sponsorship.  It builds families.  This little girl's family 'doesn't have it too bad' but only thanks to dedicated sponsors.  Her life has been forever changed.  They have seen the love of Christ in action.  That is what Compassion is all about. 

There is a link over there ----------> that you can click to begin changing a child's life today.  And their entire family as well.

Compassion

You have probably noticed links (or widgets) in my side bar over there -----> for Compassion International. (CI) I want to share my 'Compassion' story with you.

In 1995 I saw Rich Mullins in concert and he talked about Compassion International and it's ministry to children in poverty.  I tucked the information away for future use. I was in graduate school and had no income.  In 1997 Rich was killed in an automobile accident, but his influence for Compassion International didn't die.  I became a Compassion USA sponsor - at that time there were projects in poor areas of the USA that Compassion helped with.  This program has since been disbanded.  After finishing graduate school in 1998, I started sponsoring a little guy in Ethiopia.

A. was 5 years old at the time.  Both of his parents were still alive.  Over the next 12 years, we wrote many times. Exchanged letters. Shared sorrows and joys.  Both of his parents died from AIDS as so many in Africa do.  I cherish the photo I have of this dear little boy with his mom and dad.  I can see his tiny fingerprints all over it.  Once he even wrote, "I think of you as my mother."  This simple statement was at once heartbreaking and overwhelming!  As of this past summer, we no longer sponsor A.  He left the program to go on the streets and earn a living.  I still think of him often and pray for him like always.  I know I will see him one day and be able to hug his neck.

When I married in 2001, I told my husband about CI. Then came home after helping with a radio-thon in Baltimore, MD with a little girl from Peru with pig tails and tons of attitude!  (and she happened to share my birthday!)  P. also left the program this year due to her family moving to another location.  Her relationship was completely different from A's. I could more easily communicate with P due to the language (Spanish) and I understood the culture a bit better.

After being told by my husband that we couldn't sponsor any more children, I became a volunteer (now called an advocate).  This way I could help find sponsors for these dear ones and not go bankrupt.  I became a volunteer in late 2002/early 2003.  I will admit to not being the most active of advocates, but CI is still very dear to my heart.

When our own son died in January 2004, we had memorials sent to CI for their medical fund. I later learned that the money helped pay for a little girl born with her intestines on the outside of her body to come to the USA for surgery.  This girl's mother was rescued from the grief of losing a child.  By this time I was the event coordinator for a couple of states.  My job was to find coverage for various speakers, conferences and concerts.  I loved doing this and working with the compassion leadership.

As volunteer leadership, we were taken to Ecuador in July 2005 to see Compassion's work first hand.  The joy on the kids faces.  The love in their parents' eyes.  Kids are kids.  But the parents know they are being given a chance at a different sort of life.  They are being fed. Educated. Medically cared for and most importantly, spiritually cared for.  I have heard it said numerous times that Wes Stafford, president of Compassion, dreams of having a formerly sponsored child rising to become president of their country.  What an amazing feat!  Already, some have become teachers and doctors in their villages.

The children don't always understand Compassion's work.  I heard one formerly sponsored child say, "I didn't know what Compassion International was, but I did know we got a bag of rice every month and we were not going to be hungry."  That is huge!!!!

We currently sponsor 3 children.  A new little boy in Ethiopia, a little boy with Albinism in Tanzania (that is an amazing story for another post), and a little girl with Albinism in India.  I have not met any of them in person, but we put their photos on our wall along with other family photos.  We pray for them. We write them.  They are part of our family.  We truly love them.

That is what CI boils down to - building a relationship with a child so they know they are loved and that, most importantly, that Jesus Christ loves them.