God, It's Not Fair

This is post is part of Compassion's Blogging Month

Hi God. It's me. I've been putting this post off all week. This week's Compassion Assignment. One of few the reasons I'm doing it now is because I challenged myself to complete the whole Compassion Blogging Month, and the new assignment comes out tomorrow. I could say that I've been busy; I worked all week. I could say I was tired; I've been exhausted all week. I could say I was distracted. Those are all true, but  I don't think any of those things is the real reason for my delay.

I think the real reason is You. The assignment is to write You a letter about sponsorship. But what on earth do I tell You about it that You don't already know? Praying for the kids is great, but to do that for a whole letter seems like a Wish List of sorts...not that praying for kids is bad. I just want this to be more than "And bless this one and that one and give us this...."

I think one of the main reasons I've struggled is because when I read the assignment, the first sentence in my head was, "But God, it's not fair!" Because it's not.

It's not fair that these innocent, loving, deserving children are without so many basic needs when I and the people I love have so much. I mean, really. I heard today about a woman who's had 12 surgeries to make her breasts a size M. We don't even know what to do with all our money, and there's kids sick, and starving, and homeless all over the world! This issue, as with human trafficking just make me want to scream, "GOD, IT'S NOT FAIR!" while having a tantrum like a two-year-old.

Because it's not fair that I am sitting here with more electronics than I can count. With dozens of outfits in my closet, yet I complained this morning that I have nothing to wear. With so much food in my fridge and cabinets that it goes bad before I can eat it all. With instant access to medicine and treatment for any kind of ailment. With 4 Bibles on my shelf and endless information at my fingertips. With a safe, warm, comfortable place to live and sleep.

Yet, while I'm sitting here, there's a little boy watching his mother waste away from disease. There's a little girl being forced into prostitution. There's a mother mixing dirt into her child's food to help his belly feel full. There's a brother and sister working for their family's income, instead of going to school. There's a young man looking for hope and seeing only darkness. God, it's not fair.

Where's the line that decides who gets abundance and who goes without? What did I ever do to get in the abundance line, while those kids didn't? And if I can't stand it, how do You? When You hear their cries, see them in trouble, how can You not step in and save them from it? I suppose that's why You're God and I'm not. (Which is good, because I would never be able to handle the stress of running the universe!)

Lord, I know You're a just God. I know You work all things for Your good. And I know that this is a fallen world, but that just doesn't seem like a good enough reason for all the injustice around us. The one hope I have in this confusion of unfairness is that I know You have a habit of using the willing to change the world. And I want to help. Sign me up. I want to fix it. I want the world to be fair. It really irks me when people say "you can't save the world" because why can't I? I serve the One who created it, so why can't I save it? Obviously not on my own, but with Him I can...can't I?

Joseph did it. So did Esther. David. Moses. So why not me? True, right now I have no idea how to. I don't have the resources, or the training, or a full vision (yet), but that's never stopped You from using someone! So I start small. I change the way I shop. I change the way I live in and see the world. I sponsor a child. Maybe right now I'm not saving the entire world. But I'm saving the life of Nithish. Because of my sponsorship, he gets healthy food and water, clothes, school supplies, education and more. His life will be different. And maybe he goes on to do something amazing with his life. He uses the opportunities Compassion gave him and the education he receives to change his village. To make it a safe, happy, successful place. And right now I'm using my electronic blessings and social media to take a stand, to use my voice, so maybe a friend will step in to change a child's life, too. Then my World Saving Power has doubled. If it keeps going like that, pretty soon, I will save the world with You!

Is this why You let the world be unfair? To stir us to compassion, to have a passion to change the way things are? To get beyond our own lives and step into the hurt of someone else's? I wish the world was fair. I wish I didn't know the kind of horrors that happen in this world. But, at the same time, I thank You for opening my eyes to them. For giving me that passion to want to see change in the world and for showing me step by step how to make it happen. Lord, for all the tears and sleepless nights I've had (and am sure to continue having) over these issues, I pray that You would show up and show off to eradicate these nightmares from our world. Because without Your presence, it's all for nothing. My actions will only result in making me sick and tired.

But with You....with You, I can save the world.

Feguerson, Byukusenge, Marioly, Selenia

Today is the official start of the Compassion Blogger's Month! Yes, I've written two posts already about this, but this is the official start, since I've officially been given an assignment. And since I have an assignment, I'm giving you one, too.

Your assignment is to check out the Sponsor a Child page over at Compassion's site. As I write this, there are 86 pages of children waiting for sponsors on the main search page, for a total of 1706 children needing to know they're special and loved. Four of them have birthday's today. Wouldn't it be a great birthday present for them to be sponsored?

So here's what I want you to do. Go to the Sponsor a Child page. Look at these precious children. Look at their sometimes sad sometimes smiley faces and see the possibilities. Check out the different ways of sorting the massive list. Sort by age, country, longest waiting, orphaned, special needs, etc. Notice the ones with symbols on their pictures. Some of these children live in places know for exploitation and abuse. Others live in AIDS-affected affected areas. Still others have been waiting for a really long time. Many over six months, some over a year.

Then I want you to do something. Maybe you choose to pray for these kids. Pray for their lives, their families, their eventual sponsors. Maybe you'll choose to pray for yourself, that God would break your heart for what breaks His. That you would see "the least of these" as He sees them. Maybe you can use the page to learn about the different cultures represented by these kids. Maybe you use it as motivation to write your own post about Compassion, or to join the Compassion Bloggers Network. Or, maybe you will decide to sponsor a child of your own! Whatever route you choose, just do something to make an everlasting impact in the lives of these children.

Whatever gifting you have, you can use it to make a difference. Write, blog, vlog, sing, dance, pray, sponsor, visit...the opportunities are endless if you put your mind to it! So go check out the Sponsor a Child page and see what you come up with to change the life of a child!

Let me know what you decide to do! If you blog for Compassion (or fun) too, let me know. I'd love to follow :) 

Wondering about the title of this post? Those are the four children with birthday's today who are waiting for sponsors.

Represent

Last Sunday, I was teaching my kiddos a lesson about "Secret Servants", people who do good without expecting any rewards or recognition, simply because it's what God says is right. The memory verse was one I know I've heard a billion times in my life, but it hit me in a new way:

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17, NLT)

We're not told to simply do all things for God, but representing God. Just as an ambassador for a country travels the world representing their home country, we represent our true home, the Kingdom of God. The ambassador is seen as typical of what people from that area are like. They are known for making decisions that best benefit their home country. They are the only glimpse of that country some people may see. The same is true for all believers.

In the words of my Pastor from a sermon this week, "You don't work for God, you work with God." God doesn't call us servants, but friends (John15:15). He lets us in on His plan and encourages us to use our gifts with His resources to effect change in our world.

So the question becomes, who are you representing with your words and actions? Would people be surprised to learn you are a Christian based on the 'you' they see everyday? Or do your actions express your passion for Christ?

As I shared last week, this month is Compassion Blog Month! I just keep getting more and more excited about this! Sponsoring a child is such an easy, rewarding way to represent Christ. (Note: This post didn't start as a plot to talk about Compassion. It just happened that way. Sponsorship is obviously not the only way to represent God in your life. It's just one.) For the price of one meal out, you can change the life of a child forever. The money will help send that child to school, provide clothes, healthy food, medical care, and everything needed to help that child grow and thrive! Plus, your sponsorship will open doors for you and your family to connect with another person and family that you may never have met otherwise. There are so many positives, there are really no negatives!

I just bought a birthday present for my Compassion child on their website, and this is what waited on the confirmation page:
Thank You Sponsors! from Compassion International on Vimeo.

How great is that! Made me smile like a dork. So if you're not a sponsor and want to have this kind of impact, head over to Compassion's website to make a difference in the life of a child!

Most of us will have no problem sparing the $38 each month. That's less than $10 a week. A lot of people spend more than that on coffee each week. But maybe you truly don't have it in your budget. Or maybe you're a child or teen yourself, and can't come up with that kind of money. If that's you, I have a suggestion. Find a friend (or two) and sponsor a child together! I even know of several classes that sponsor a child as a group. You all still benefit, and this child now knows that several people love and pray for them! I challenge you to take another look at how you spend your money, and see if you can help one of these children in need.

Compassion

I love Compassion. The organization, not just the idea of compassion (although I like that, too). I've been following a few bloggers who were called Compassion Bloggers. I figured they worked for Compassion or had a special arrangement with them. But it turns out, the only major qualification to be a Compassion Blogger is to have a blog! So I signed up about two weeks ago, and have been patiently awaiting my first assignment. Well, I just got an email declaring September Compassion Blog Month, so this is going to be exciting!

So what is a Compassion Blogger?

A Compassion Blogger is someone who has a heart for the children of the world and for the work Compassion is doing. Their job is to spread the word and raise excitement to end poverty and hunger around the world. They help get sponsors for children in need. Sometimes they even travel with Compassion to witness firsthand what goes on in these countries and to write about it for the rest of us! I'm so excited for this opportunity to write about something I'm passionate about, for an organization I'm passionate about!

I'm also looking forward to this for a personal reason. I have sponsored a few children since I was in high school, but I've always been really bad about writing to them. Especially lately with automatic payments, I barely think about it. I'm hoping that with this reminder to write about Compassion, it will be a reminder and motivation to write to my child and get to know him better.

So what is Blog Month?
Blog month is a month long celebration and challenge. Celebrating the power of many individuals coming together for a cause, and the challenge of getting more than three thousand children sponsors by September 30th. Every week, bloggers will be given a new assignment. So every week you can expect a new post from me about Compassion, poverty, children, puppies.... honestly, I don't know what the assignments are going to be, I just know they will be used to bring knowledge, empowerment, and hope to a dark world. To learn more about Compassion's Blog Month or to sign up, click here.

I'm very excited about this for so many reasons, and I hope you'll join me for the adventure!

"Shrewd"

Usually the only books I review here on the blog are only ones I receive from publishing companies (not sure why that's been my "rule". Hmm...would anyone want to read reviews for all the books I read?) This book I bought at a book sale, then realized it was an ARC for a book coming out this month, so I am reviewing it here. Let's take a look!

With lines like, "Daring to live the startling command of Jesus" and "The one Bible story you won't hear in church" written on the cover, I expected more from this book.  The premise of this book is that God calls us to be shrewd, just as the devil is shrewd, using the Biblical phrase "shrewd as serpents yet innocent as doves" with the story of the shrewd manager in Luke 16.  Lawrence explores the passage and unpacks what it means and could look like in a Christ-follower's life. 

But, to use the unpacking metaphor, the valuable message was hidden in a box full of paper and packing peanuts. It felt like Lawrence would present his thesis for the chapter, get distracted by all the things he wanted to say, then remember his message in time for the last paragraph. There were good points, but they were overwhelmed by extraneous stories and metaphors, some of which were used but never explained, expecting the reader to know what he was referencing. 

I liked the basic idea of this book. It has started me  thinking about being shrewd in my life and ministry. And yes, it is definitely a story that I have not heard in church, or even remembered reading in my own quiet time! I had to go check my Bible to make sure we were reading the same one! The little rabbit trails throughout the book, while they were mostly enjoyable and had a point, were overkill. They distracted from the main message of the book. 

Finally, I had a small pet peeve with this book. I know the book is called Shrewd, and is about being shrewd, but seriously, how many times can you use the word shrewd?? It seemed like sometimes he was using the word to describe what shrewd was! Or like he was getting paid by the use of the word! That's really my only critique on the actual writing of this book.

Overall, this book is average. If you don't mind a little rambling, you can find some small nuggets of value. 

3/5 stars.

"Short-Straw Bride"

Through a series of rather painful-and embarrassing- events, Meredith finds herself walking down the aisle towards her childhood hero, rancher Travis Archer. Despite marrying the man of her dreams, it is decidedly not her dream wedding! With her uncle forcing the wedding to a man she hasn't seen in twelve years,  and men trying to take the Archer land by force, it's certainly an awkward time, to say the least. After the vows are said, Travis battles his distrust of the world, while Meri is sure she falls after his land and brothers on his list of priorities. Will Travis and Meredith be able to put their faith in God, and each other, to find the love they each crave?

I loved this book by one of my new favorite authors! I may have teared up once....or twice...or half a dozen times...anyways...There was so much drama in this book! And so many different kinds of drama: physical danger, spiritual loss, emotions on the brink, relational uncertainty...in short, all the makings of a great book. Even though it was on the long side (page-wise, to some people, anyways), I didn't find it dragging or boring at any points. I loved getting to know these characters and I sincerely hope we'll get to see the other Archer boys find love, too! 

Check out this trailer for the book to get you even more excited! 

Highly Recommended for fans of historical fiction! 

4/5 Stars

*I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Sparkling Teeth

Note to self:
If you decide to turn the knob of your toothpaste tube squeezer, even though it doesn't seem to be ready to turn, it WILL teach you a lesson by spitting 42 times the recommended amount of toothpaste at you the moment you take off the cap. Now, if you've got good reflexes (or just innate habits that have everything lined up at the precise moment for silly accidents), approximately half of it actually landed on your toothbrush. The other half is divided between the sink and the cap (good luck cleaning that sucker out!). Since you don't want to waste any of that toothpaste, you may be tempted to brush with that massive mound of tooth polish. Resist the urge! If you actually DO use it, aside from the large amount of foam you will produce, your tongue will go slightly numb from all that peppermint oil in your fancy organic product. Also, your entire mouth will feel oddly slippery. Like that time you sampled your homemade buttercream and realized you forgot to add the powdered sugar, so it was just flavored shortening that you were eating. It's not pleasant. And brushing your teeth will take 5 times longer than usual.

On the bright side, you are definitely not at risk for any mouth disease now....unless toothpaste can CAUSE mouth disease. In which case you're in big trouble. But also, why are they selling toothpaste if it causes mouth disease?? Shouldn't there be a warning on the box about that or something? I smell a lawsuit!


Note to readers:
Tonight's post is definitely not related to nor inspired by any real life events. Absolutely, positively, 100%.....okay, yeah it is. It totally is. Moral of the story: don't be in a rush to use your fancy toothpaste tube squeezer or it will punish you in hilarious, blog-worthy ways.