Compassion: 30 Days of HeartworkSample

Bring Your Loaves

HEART //   

In the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 we see how He can take “not enough” and make it more than enough. At first, all the disciples could see was a huge problem, but Jesus saw an opportunity. He used the little offering of a young boy to make a huge difference.

So many times we feel inadequate, thinking we do not have anything to offer Jesus. In reality, all He asks for is willing followers who are ready to give all they have. All throughout Scripture we see God’s unfolding plan to change the world through ordinary people. He used a shepherd boy to become the king of Israel, He used a teenage girl to birth His own son, and He used some common fishermen to start the early Church.

A few years ago, God used an 8-year-old girl named Katelyn to make a difference in the lives of people around the world. When Katelyn was only 6, she learned that millions of people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water. Katelyn wanted to find a way to help bring clean water to children across the globe. So she got to work.

Katelyn began doing everything to raise money for this cause. She saved her money from the Tooth Fairy, sold lemonade, and hosted a yard sale, where she sold clothes and toys. She began creating artwork that she later sold at an art auction her family hosted. Through all of these great ideas, Katelyn raised $1,580 and donated it to Compassion International to provide clean water for developing communities around the world. She later raised more money by holding another yard sale, fundraising at her school, and giving a speech about water at vacation Bible school. God used Katelyn, an 8-year-old girl, to make a huge impact on the water crisis around the world.

WORK //

According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water at their home. 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation services. Within the 2.3 billion, 600 million people share a toilet with other households, and 892 million defecate in the open. This all contributes to contaminated water globally. Today, fill a water bottle and then add dirt from your yard or pieces of trash. Keep it somewhere visible today as a reminder that many people in this world have only contaminated water to drink. Think of the women and children who have to spend their entire days just carrying water for miles to and from their homes. As you carry around your sandbag, rice or water this week, remember how blessed you are and ask God how your giving, no matter how small, could impact the life of someone in need. 

God used the overwhelmingly ordinary to be a blessing to many. What small or ordinary things (resources, talents, gifts) might God want to use in your life to bless others?