Compassion: 30 Days of HeartworkSample

Love as Brothers

HEART //

One day a Kenyan woman was out gathering twigs when she heard crying coming from a bush. She soon discovered a newborn baby wrapped up and left to die. She ran into town and brought a woman named Nasdine from the community to help. When Nasdine saw the newborn baby crying, hungry and alone, her heart broke and she knew what she had to do.

Nasdine took the baby into her own home. She, along with the community elders, tried to find the baby’s parents, but they never did. So Nasdine adopted the baby as her own child. She named the baby Lenkai, which means “God’s son.”

Raising Lenkai was not exactly convenient for Nasdine. She lived in poverty and struggled to get the necessary resources to raise a child. She was looked down upon as an unmarried woman with a child. But Nasdine saw the need of a child and joyfully sacrificed her own comforts in order to love and care for him. “I believe it is the responsibility of society to take care of children who are abandoned. We should all strive to help, no matter how little you have,” Nasdine said. She truly sees Lenkai as God’s good gift to her. He is a reflection of hope. And he has hope for the future because a woman chose his well-being over her own. Lenkai is now enrolled in his local Compassion International program where caring staff come alongside Nasdine to ensure he is known, loved and protected — all in the name of Jesus. 

Try to imagine what it would be like to be born an orphan. Now, imagine if someone like Nasdine loved you enough to make personal sacrifices in order to take care of your needs. Think of how your life would change if you heard the love and hope of Jesus! There are people in our schools, our cities and around the world who need a word of encouragement, a meal or a listening ear today. May we show true compassion and use the gifts, talents and resources that God has given each of us to care for those who are suffering. Let us be people who love like Jesus does and refuse to ignore our brothers and sisters in need.

WORK //

Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces. In 2014, 61 million children of primary school age were not enrolled in school. In 2016, 5.6 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable diseases.* As Christians, these facts should move us to compassion and loving action. 

If you sponsor a child, do a little research today to find out about the nation and community he or she lives in. Where do they live? How do they live? 

Now, take action! Learn about the needs of people in your own community who are in need of love, and find a simple way to help. Maybe you can volunteer at a soup kitchen, write letters to kids who are in the hospital or donate clothes to your local homeless shelter. There are so many ways we can serve the materially poor, and the poor in spirit, both globally and locally. Cultivating the desire to serve in one area often leads to another. Of course, we can’t (and should not try!) to do it all. But learning about the needs, praying and trusting God to lead your family in how to serve is a great place to start! 

* https://www.compassion.com/poverty/poverty.htm