Compassion posted an article this morning on facebook that really caught my eye. It's not so much the article that hit home, but the tag line: "Compassion changes everything." It really does.
Mike and I have had a wonderful past few weeks. We recently got back from a trip to Disney World. Then, this past weekend, we traveled to the White Mountains in NH to celebrate our 1 year anniversary (which was yesterday). This was a wonderful chance for us to get away, to celebrate our marriage, and to rest and reconnect. We went out to dinner, walked around the outlets, and marveled at God's creation as we took off on scenic drives around the mountains.
Not only was yesterday our anniversary, but today is my 24th birthday. This is a week...2 weeks...filled with blessings and reminders of our affluence. But like I said, Compassion changes everything. While my heart has felt so full of happiness from these blessings, I have also felt conflicted because of our expenditure, and heartbroken for the children who are on my heart, waiting for a sponsor. Little Lilian, for example, has been my prayer child for almost 2 months now. She just turned 6, and lives in Honduras. She has the sweetest, gentlest smile that just calls to me. Yesterday as Mike and I were trying to decide what restaurant to eat at on our anniversary, I was simply overcome and broke down crying. Why are we so blessed that we can go out to eat three times in our one special week without batting an eye, while children like Lilian will celebrate their birthdays far more simply than we could imagine? My heart is changed.
All day while my facebook profile is being barraged by kind birthday messages (which I do appreciate), my heart will stay with the children who are still smiling (or looking very seriously) at me from the Compassion website. I have known that some people choose a child through Compassion because they share a birthday, but since birthdays never really meant anything to me, I didn't understand the significance. But now, I understand. I feel a strong connection to all of these children. So I will pray for them constantly throughout my day, knowing that at least in our small corner of the world in Massachusetts, their lives are being celebrated and prayed over on their birthdays. It's all I can think to do.
I praise God for this organization, for the lives of these children, and for the opportunities afforded us to actually do something about the injustices found both globally and in our own backyard. Please join me in praying for these children. And if you want to take it one step further, please consider sponsoring one of them. I can't overstate how blessed we feel through our sponsorships with Compassion International.
As of this morning, the children on the US Compassion International website who were born on June 7th are Lilian, Luis, Yemadowerk, Nayeli, Neeraj, Sharon, Alje, and Wassihun. All beautiful, and all loved by our Creator. Happy birthday!
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