On This Last Day of Compassion Blog Month...

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. 

- Mother Teresa

...I have learned that I will not change the world.
Jesus will do that.
I can, however, change the world for one person. 

- Katie Davis

I think the most overwhelming thing about ending poverty is that word - millions. 

Millions without access to clean drinking water.

Millions living on less that $1 a day.

Millions of dying babies, uneducated children and starving families.

And while it's important to know the facts, it's also important to stare all those numbers in the face and say this:

"I'll start with one."

And so there are about 10 hours left in Compassion Blog Month. [Here on my blog, we've been to Kenya, and back to my childhood.]

I have no clue where we're at in terms of our 3160 sponsorships goal.

Doesn't really matter. I'll ask you this: Will you change the world of one today?

If you can't educate a hundred, a thousand, a million - will you educate one?

If you can't feed, clothe, protect, and inspire a million - will you do so for one?

If you can't tell a million people about the gospel - will you start with one?

Trust me - the most life-changing thing you'll ever do. 

And, I really suspect you won't stop at just one. :)

As we go through each day, our heart's cry should be, Lord, where would you have me give, serve, and invest myself to bring hope to the poor?

- Johnny Carr, Orphan Justice

Dear Childhood Me -

Hey, you.

We're pretty similar, you know.

I guess we are the same person.

We both have an unhealthy amount of energy, a love for telling stories, and way too much hair on our heads.

Oh, and we both laugh at every chance we get, smile at strangers, and eat way too much ice cream.

Yeah, and I'm still a Leafs fan (Dad's fault, ok?). And, no that growth spurt everyone talks about only sorta-kinda happened. Cuz I'm still short (Also Dad's fault.).

Oh yeah, and we're also both perfectionists.

You know what, we're pretty similar, but I think I have at least some wisdom to impart to you.

Ease Up. 

You'll be a little shocked to hear that I'm trying really hard not to be so worried about being perfect anymore.

And concentrate more on clinging to our Jesus' version of perfect.

Let me tell you, girl, it's way better.

You know that Jesus guy, who you asked to live in your heart at four?

You would not believe how complicated-ly simple He gets throughout the coming years.

I know you don't totally get it all yet. (Neither do I, really.) But in your tween years you'll start to claim this faith for your own. No more just going through the motions.

You'll start asking questions. Soon it will lead you to this one: "Mom, Dad, can I have a little sister through Compassion?"

Girl - this is going to change your life. 

You're going to start to learn how broken is beautiful, and what Jesus really meant when he said "Blessed are the hungry and thirsty." (I know those beatitudes always confused you... I mean, wouldn't Jesus want you to be rich, not poor, in spirit?)

Sponsoring a child will be the start of some crazy things for you. You'll ask tough questions about what the Jesus-life really looks like... and you'll start to realize pursuing justice and serving the poor is at the very heart of following Jesus.

You'll go on a trip to the Philippines, and you'll go twice to Wilmington. You'll start to learn more and more about all the people in this world who are hurting, and how the God you call Father so desperately wants them to find hope.

You'll start to realize how this pursuing justice thing... it's a lifestyle, not a hobby.

Many of your friends won't get it. Some days, you won't want to get it.

But really, you'll always be damaged to the First world life. And you'll always be so thankful for that.

Does the life of living justice suck sometimes? Yes. You'll get impatient, frustrated, some days you'll lose hope. Sometimes, you'd rather be self-centred. You'll fail lots and lots and lots of times.

And so this is my word of advice to you today: Start practicing imperfect.

Because in this world, you will have trouble.

But take heart -

He has overcome the world.

-

It's Compassion Blog Month! I'm part of a network of bloggers called the Compassion Bloggers who have one goal: Use our voices to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. Check us out & join us at our website.

And Blog Month? Blog Month has one goal: Get 3160 children sponsored. As of Tuesday, we were at 1747. (More than halfway!!!)

You can be a part of reaching that goal, by sponsoring a child through Compassion International!

Seriously, it will change your life. It changed mine and my family's.

So, if you're American click here, and Canadians click here, and start your journey.

Will it feel overwhelming sometimes? Yes.

But take heart, because Jesus - with His hope, joy, love and freedom - He's got your back in this world changing business. :)

Me, The Very Worst [Compassion] Blogger

As you've probably heard from other bloggers who are way more on top of things than I am, September is Compassion Blog Moth.

I'm part of a network of bloggers who support Compassion International. This is our second year doing blog month - with the goal of getting 3160 children sponsored.

Basically, this is the biggest month of the year the Compassion Bloggers Network.

And here my blog quietly sits. Ha.

However - better late then never? Because blog month is so happening here.

And we start today with the [fictional] story behind a photo. Come with me to Kenya. :)

-

The Lost Bible

source: @compassion

“I can’t find it,” you remember crying to your mom.

“Check again.” She had said. With only a two hour layover in the middle of that journey from Kenya to home, she’d had little time to deal with lost items.

Even if it was your favourite Bible.

You remember digging through your backpack once more, but you knew it was really gone. You’d sighed halfway through and given up. It was no use. 

You’d loved that Bible. Underlined your favourite verses, scribbled in the margins. Even though your friends at youth group had always said it looked like an old person’s Bible, with the fake leather cover and fading gold around the pages’ edges, you’d loved it because your Grandma had given it to you.

That Bible had held many memories from your fifteen years, from summer camp to youth group retreats, to that time your mom got mad at you when you were 5, for taking red pen to the bottom of the Bible and scrawling “God is Good” in your kindergarten printing during Sunday School. You hadn’t seen why she was so upset. You still don’t, in fact. After all, what you’d written was the truth. Maybe she was just mad that you hadn’t been paying attention. 

Funny how Bibles so often hold sentimental value. 

And now you had one more memory attached to that Bible - your day at one of the Compassion International Child Development Centres in Kenya, and how right there, in the middle of the day’s musical worship time, you’d sat down and opened to Matthew 5:3 and underlined it.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Because you’d finally figured out what it meant.

After your day amongst the poor, visiting your family’s 5-year-old sponsored child, you’d finally figured out that verse that had confused you all your life. The joy and hope you’d seen that day told you this: poor in spirit, with nothing of this world taking your soul’s attention, was the only state in which you could fully grasp the richness of Christ.

These people with nothing - they’d figured out how to let Jesus be their everything.

“Mom. It’s gone.” you remember looking up at her with a deep frown on your face. “I left it at the church.”

“Well honey, I’m sure someone else will love it as much as you.”

You were at that same airport again this week, off to visit that same 5-year-old, now 15.

And now? Now, ten years later, you’re sitting in that same Child Development Centre. You’re sitting in the same chapel, which now doubles as a classroom because of the growing number of kids in the program.

And you can’t believe what you’re holding.

Your Bible.

It’s more well-loved than you remember. The pages are curling now, and the cover is creased and folded at the edges.

“God is Good” is still scrawled across the bottom, but you can tell it’s been rewritten a few times. You turn to Matthew 5, the last verse you’d read in that Bible, and smile. Still underlined, and now boxed around and highlighted.

You flip through more pages, trying to remember what you’d underlined and written and what was new.

“Excuse me?” You look up and meet the chocolate brown eyes of a seven-year-old girl. “That’s my Bible. I’d let you borrow it, but I’m going home and my family and I read it every night.”

“Oh,” you say. Your heart smiles wide. “Of course. Here.”

You pause a moment. “Actually, do you mind if I quickly take a photo of it before I leave?” You want this memory forever.

“Of course.” She says. You set down the Bible and pull out your camera and snap the shot, then send the little girl on her way.

And when you find out later that she’s unsponsored?

You sponsor her and write her a letter about the Bible you lost when you were fifteen.

-

Through sponsorship with Compassion International, children living in poverty have access to education, healthcare, nutritious meals and constant care from the staff at their Child Development Centre. But most importantly, and what I love most about Compassion International, they have the opportunity to learn of the hope and freedom found in Jesus. And often times (like in the case of many of our sponsored children), their families begin to learn of this hope and freedom as well.

Would you like to sponsor a child? Yes? Great. HERE for Canadian readers and HERE for Americans.

Oh - and stayed tuned for more Compassion blog month this week. 'Cause like I said... Compassion blog month is ON around here! If you'd like to join us (I'm a living example of better-late-than-never) check out the Compassion Bloggers website to sign up.

My [Teenage?!] Brother

Yeah, that's right!

He's a teenager!

And I've officially ended my struggle to be taller.

It's hopeless.

To my favourite brother,

Happy Birthday.

I pray that you'd always dream God-sized dreams. 

That you'd smile big, laugh hard, and never stop telling those jokes. 

That you'd frown deep at what's not OK, cry angry tears and never stop fighting against injustice in Jesus' name, in everything you do.

That one day that brain of yours that built a robot to do your homework for you in grade one, will change the world in partnership with that heart of yours that cares deeply for the oppressed. 

That His joy would follow you wherever you go, and His peace would find you whenever you're not quite sure.

That you'd never stop asking questions, and never stop hunting for answers. 

That one day, you'll break the Rubik's cube world record.

And in everything, I pray that you'd chase our Heavenly Father's best for you.

Happy Birthday, teenager. You inspire me in ways you'll never know.

Love,

The Shorter Sibling