By Dawn Brown
Do you suffer from compassion
fatigue? Do you feel guilty when
you don’t help and then guilty if you do?
Do you try to do your part for those in need and then wonder if you’ve
done enough? When you give, do you
question if it makes a difference? Do
you ask yourself questions like, who’s to blame for the poverty or why should
you even bother?
If compassion fatigue is wearing you
down, you might need to refocus. I hope
this article will free you. I recently
read the book, Invisible: What the Church Can Do to Find & Serve the Least
of These. One chapter offers some help
that I’d like to draw upon.
The purpose of our salvation is not just a future in Heaven. We follow Jesus for the here and now too. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are here to serve. It’s an opportunity for us to see God work and for the world to see Him too. What a privilege He’s given us!
Most of us healthy Americans have the
ability to accumulate wealth unlike most of the world. We can come alongside struggling ministries
who serve “the least of these”. The
Bible talks a lot about serving the poor, the widows and the orphans. I’ve heard that there are over 2,000 Bible
verses that address the topic!
God tells us to think of
what we are giving to others, as though we are giving it to Him. It might help to become less concerned about
who’s to blame for the poor and the injustices we see. Maybe we should stop wondering if we are
really making a difference. God gives us
the chance to give others the benefit of our goodwill and monetary blessings,
and He promises to bless us in return.
How exciting!
Those blessings may come in unexpected
ways. We may be freed from our
self-centered egos. Our focus on the
Lord may begin to go deeper. We may be
moved beyond our prejudice or fear. Our
burdens may be lightened because we are learning to trust God to meet our
needs, rather than trust our ability to earn our own way. A growing and maturing faith may be
gained. We may have a more willing and
open hand to others. We may experience
the joy of being obedient and being used by the Lord. The most important blessings don’t always
come in material things.
We need to learn to live the way Jesus
did. Ask God to give us His
compassionate heart. Then, the cry of
human need will reach into the deepest part of us and compel us to joyfully
respond.
When it comes from Him and we begin to
work and give with the right motives and not out of guilt, we will begin to
give up our self-centered, materialistic lives and be overcome with loving
kindness, openhanded generosity and be advocates for the marginalized. God will bless us. God doesn’t twist our arm, but He invites us,
and offers us meaning and fulfillment in our lives!
“When
we ask God to do something about poverty,
God
is saying back to us, ‘I did do something.
I made you’”.
–Shane Clairborne
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Elizabeth giving school books to
Dennis & Syokau in 2011. Read about
Dennis next.
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Dennis is One Smart Guy!
Elizabeth Mativo is so proud of Dennis and what he has
accomplished. In spite of being in and
out of school much of his life, Dennis has graduated from high school and has
very good grades! Early on in this
ministry, Elizabeth identified him as being a very good student who really
wanted to learn. He has been steadily in
school since 2010. Your donations to Child Arise are changing lives!
Not all children in Kenya have the privilege of going to high
school. Only those who pass a very
difficult national exam are allowed.
To attend the University of Nairobi, students must have a GPA
of B-, which Dennis has exceeded. He has
taken the entrance exams and qualifies to go directly to the University. This is quite an accomplishment, especially
from a child who grew up, in and out of school depending on funds, without
enough food, overworked and a difficult home life.
You may remember reading about the tragic family
event he experienced. Being distraught
over poverty, his mother killed his two younger siblings and then killed
herself. This left Dennis and a sister,
Nthenya, who was featured in an earlier newsletter.
Their
father re-married and their stepmother died of AIDS. While we were in Mbooni, the father told us
that he is troubled with bad dreams and scary thoughts. He travels away from Mbooni trying to find
work, like a farm hand or building things, but there is little work to be
found.
Because there is no electricity in Mbooni, Dennis has no
computer experience, which he will need at the University. The next step in his education is to go to a
computer school in Nairobi for several months, to gain the skills he will need
to succeed. From there, he will begin at
the University.
These computer courses come at a cost of $1,439 which
includes his room and board. I hope
Dennis will have a chance to graduate from college and the possibility of
achieving a life sustaining career, because someone reading this (or several
someones) may be willing to provide him with that opportunity.
Prayer
Requests |
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Elizabeth Mativo’s daughter, Irene, states, “I personally have
very high hopes in Dennis. He is a
brilliant young man.”
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U Please pray for continued
improvement in Elizabeth’s knee. Working
on her crops and walking the mountain trails hasn’t allowed for proper
healing. Paise that she is able to do
her work. God is able!
UPray that the Bible lessons
for the woman and children will bring them closer to the Lord.
U Praise for those in the
community who continue to come to receive a Bible. Even men who don’t attend church are coming!
UPraise for how the Lord is
providing through money from partners in U.S. and that more children will be
helped to go to school and for adequate food for the women and children.
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