OUTSIDE My Own Little World

Yesterday, I wrote about being stuck in my own little world. Today, I want to talk about looking outside my own little world.

I saw some images yesterday that shook me up. Here is just one of them:

This is Nabakoza. She lives in Uganda. She is twenty-three-years-old. She weighs thirty-seven pounds. Yes, that's right - 37. She will very likely die by the end of this week. Katie, the woman holding her, is giving her the love and tenderness that she has been deprived of her entire life. There is little doubt that Nabakoza will die soon, but because of the sweet women caring for her, her final days will be overflowing with God's love.

At first, I didn't want to post this image of Nabakoza because I thought people might get upset and say that I was trying to "guilt into giving." I'd like to say that I don't want you to feel guilty, but I do. Shouldn't we feel guilty when we look at precious images like this one?

But as I thought about it some more, guilt is not truly want I want to you feel. I want you to feel compassion. I want you to feel love. I want you to feel joy as you see lives changed. I don't think that a bunch of guilty Christian do-gooders is what God had in mind with He commanded Christians to care for the poor in their distress or to give with a joyful heart. Guilt isn't a part of the equation when your heart longs to give and to serve others freely. So, I don't want to make you feel guilty and I can't make you feel compassion, but I can share with you how God has been working on my heart in this area.

Let me tell you about Nazziwa. She is my nineteen-year-old Compassion sponsor child and she lives in Uganda. (Can you tell I have a thing for Ugandans?) For the past four years, I have had the privilege of sponsoring her and getting to know her better through letters and pictures. I love this girl so much, and look forward to meeting her one day (I'm planning a trip with Compassion in November of next year.) Nazziwa loves to sing and I can't wait to sing with her!

This Barbra, I've been sponsoring her for about a year-and-a-half. She loves the color blue. She wants to be a nurse. She always asks me in her letters to pray for the sick, hungry babies in her country. Even at seven years old, Barbra is filled with such compassion and it makes my heart ache with joy. I want to help this darling little girl fulfill her calling to be a nurse so that she can help those precious little ones for whom she already cares so deeply. (She is also from Uganda, so I will get to meet her too!)

Let me take a minute to help you visualize how easy it would be for most of us to sponsor a child. One sponsorship through Compassion is $38.00 a month (about $1.25 per day) so:

One of these:

 Plus two of these:

 Plus one of these:

Equals one of these:

There is so much need and it can seem so overwhelming sometimes. But we can start by making a difference in one life. It won't change the world, but it will change the world of the one person you help.

You know that little baby I pictured at the beginning of this post?
This is him today:

Don't you just want to kiss those sweet little cheeks? Cheeks that literally didn't exist seven weeks ago. (Pictures are from the organization Serving His Children.)

We can help and it can start today. I pray that everyone reading this will be filled, overcome and taken over, not by guilt, but by JOY that God has given us the opportunity and resources to change lives. 

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work... You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." - 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 11