Gifts

As a child, Christmas never seemed to come. When we pieced together the plastic tree after Thanksgiving  – it seemed so long. The most torturous wait – Dad reading the true Christmas story before tearing into presents. Sometimes getting what I wanted, sometimes not.

My most cherished present was in middle school.  I begged…..begged…..begged… for a brown leather jacket.  It was a stretch to the parents’ budget for that jacket. And after that “long” wait, it finally came.

As an adult,  I don’t usually have my heart set on much, but there is something this year. There are 3 kids on the Compassion International website who have been waiting for a sponsor for at least 388 days. I can’t fathom how long 388 days seems as a child.

And they aren’t waiting for a cool leather jacket. They are waiting for hope. For an education, for health care, for spiritual training, to be the first member of their family with a vocation.

Would you consider this? Would you consider another one if you already sponsor one? Blessings multiplied?

In the darkness of days following the Connecticut tragedy, we turned off the news reports to not be entertained by someone’s pain.

Let us not mourn only in spirit, but resolve to prevent childhood tragedies. Especially to invisible children. And the beauty prevails. Despite population increases – child poverty is down 20, 30, 40% in developing countries in the last two decades.

Love works, love pushes back the darkness.

UPDATE: All three children were sponsored within 24 hours of this post!