Kenya calls me, tugs at my heart. And that year, 2012, Compassion was leading a sponsor tour over my birthday. I could meet Nduta, our sponsored girl. Perfect timing in my eyes.
In MY eyes.
But compassion isn’t confined to Kenya. It hollows hearts in the most unlikely places, at the most unlikely times–when your friend’s diagnosed with a life-altering illness, when the neighbor’s husband has a heart attack and dies on a business trip, when your child suffers from a bully’s words. Compassion calls us in the everyday in extraordinary ways if we have ears to hear. Sometimes compassion catches us off guard, wrecks our plans to wreck our hearts.
And that year it wrecked my plans and called me not to Kenya, but to Haiti. And not to a Compassion project but to a compassion project. To spend a week simmering in the sights and smells of poverty in an orphan village. At first I shrank back, overcome and afraid, forcing myself to touch and be touched. Because I wanted to be Jesus with skin on, to walk the way He walked on earth, to love the way He loved with no holds barred.
That trip carved my heart into pieces that I left with orphans hungry for hope and the knowledge they mattered. And compassion called me back last year and calls me again this year–to Haiti.
I still long to visit Kenya with Compassion one day. Because Compassion seeps compassion as it seeks to free kids from the bonds of spiritual, emotional, and physical poverty. I want to see their work up close and personal. And I want to squeeze my girl tight.
In the meantime, I can encourage others to reach across the miles to build a relationship with a child in need–whether in Kenya or Brazil or India or Haiti or another of the 26 or so countries where Compassion serves. Because that relationship can foster release.
But the most important relationship of release, of course, is one with Jesus. And that’s why Compassion has thrown its support behind this movie that releases in theaters tomorrow, February 28.
Here’s what Jimmy Mellado, president of Compassion International has to say about it.
Mark Burnett and Roma Downey talk about Compassion International.
Official Son of God Trailer
Find where the movie’s playing near you.
Go. And then consider building a relationship with a child. And if that child happens to be from Kenya–well, maybe we can take a trip together.
I love your heart.
That is all.
And I heart you.
Beautiful as always, Sandy . . . your compassion for others is catching. And, though we rarely go to first run movies, Son of God is one I will definitely see as soon as I can.
Blessings for the weekend!
Thanks for your kind words, Martha. I’m hoping my husband gets home in time to go tonight. Hugs.
My Ugandan daughter worked for Compassion over there, and took care of many, many kids. She has had to quit after a number of years; too much stress. But Compassion clear back when she was about 8, kept her, one way or another until she was in her early/mid-20s, and then she worked for them. Now she’s doing similar things, but it’s through the orphanage where her husband works [our Ugandan son] and she’s heavily involved. I would LOVE to be in Uganda…and pop to Kenya…or go to Haiti… OR deal with our everyday portion of compassion. It’s done here, around and about many places. Dealing with reality… and I think you know some of what I’m heavily involved with. Sinfulness has increased around and about the World and it’s hard to not believe we are headed for serious situations.
BTW, I would like to read more and more of yours and people I care about and appreciate on the blogging, but I run out of energy and spend most of my time trying to put my own stuff on. If I was a younger or a better understander, I could see your posts. But you are very special. God uses you in a special way.
Sorry to write so long, so much, but hope you can put up with me. Bless you, dear friend.
You’ve dispensed a ginormous amount of compassion in your time, Joanne. And are still spilling it. Your heart bursts with it.
I know how hard it is to get around and read all the good stuff. There are only so many hours in a day, but so many days I feel like I’m lesser for the the wisdom and encouragement and inspiration I’ve missed. I’m always glad to see you here when you can pop by, my friend. Love to you.