Everyone Eats

What did you have for dinner last night? I had chicken tacos. And they were delicious. But as I was sitting at the dinner table with my wife and son, somewhere a child was going to bed hungry. Somewhere, a mommy had to tell her children, "I'm sorry, there's just no food tonight." There's enough in this world to make sure no child goes to bed hungry. NO child should starve. Everyone should eat. Today is Compassion International's Global Food Crisis Day. To learn more, and to do your part, click here.

Sick Boy

The past few days, my little boy, Morgan, has been sick. Nothing too serious...but enough to make him cry out in pain from time to time.

I don't know about other dads, but it absolutely shreds my heart to see my little boy in pain. Oh, I hate not being able to take that away. When he looks at me like, "daddy, make it go away." Ugh.

I am very thankful for my job. It affords me much more than the opportunity to put food on the table (which is a much-appreciated accomplisment)...but it also allows me to provide medicine for when my little guy is sick. It allows me to know that he's safe at home with his mommy while I'm at my desk. And, since I work for such a wonderful ministry, it also allows me to help take care of children living in extreme poverty around the world--who can't afford medicines or food without our help.

Still, when my little guy is sick...I just wish I could stay home and hold him all day long. That beats a good day at work any day.

Something We Can All Do

I know times are hard right now. Gas prices are up. Grocery prices are up. But trust me, as much as we're feeling the pinch, it's nothing compared to the hurt millions are feeling around the world. Please watch this quick video message from the Dr. Wess Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International...and take part in the fight to keep millions from starving in the midst of this global food crisis. There's something we can all do.

You--A Miracle Worker

One of my favorite stories in the bible takes place in Matthew, chapter 11. John the Baptist is in prison and he sends two messengers to ask Jesus an important question:

"Are you the Coming One or do we look for another?" --Matthew 11:3

When asked the question, in typical Jesus-fashion, the Lord doesn't say simply Yes or No. He responds by telling the messengers to report back to John. He tells them to report to John all the miracles they have witnessed during their time with the Savior.

"Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:" --Matthew 11:4

Here's what's amazing about this text. Yes, Jesus lists some powerful miracles...but look closely at the list. What do you see that perhaps sticks out a bit?

"The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed

and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor

have the gospel preached to them."

I'm amazed at this verse. Jesus lists the miracles that He's been peforming:

The blind see: Remember how Jesus performed this miracle with just some mud and spit?

The lame walk: Jesus performed this miracle with nothing more than a command. A few words and those who had never taken a step in their lives were leaping with joy!

Lepers are cleansed: Sometimes, Jesus demanded an act of faith before this cleansing happened. But imagine going from shunned from society for your illness--to completely whole, clean.

The deaf hear: I remember one story where Jesus stuck his fingers in a man's ears. Weird...but apparently effective.

And of course, the stories of the dead rising: Lazarus--who had been dead for days. The little girl whose family mocked Jesus when He said "She's just sleeping!" (My favorite is when Jesus walked into a town and saw a funeral procession. It was for the only son of a widow. She was heartbroken to have lost her son. The Bible says Jesus had compassion on her and touched the coffin. The dead man sat up in the coffin and began speaking! Incredible!)

But it's the last miracle that really blows my mind. Of all the things Jesus listed, why is this one here? "...and the poor have the gospel preached to them."

Why was that listed with these miracles? Why did Jesus include this in the list of examples that proved He was the Christ?

Maybe it's because Jesus understands the message of poverty:

"You don't matter. You don't stand a chance.

You'll never amount to anything. Nobody cares. Give up."

And how the most powerful weapon against that message is the message of hope in Christ.

"You DO matter. You are valuable. You were made for a purpose.

God loves you. He created you. He cares about you."

When a person goes from "I don't matter" to "I'm important to God", the message of poverty is defeated. It's sight for the blind...cleansing for the leper...hearing for the deaf...life for the dead. It is a miracle.

Now let me ask you this question: Which of these miracles can YOU perform today?

I'll even give you the answer: You can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone struggling in poverty today. There's one organization that is not only serving the poor by meeting their physical, social, environmental, emotional and educational needs...but their spiritual needs as well. Compassion International partners with churches in the poorest countries, bringing the Gospel to the poor. It's what Jesus did. It's a miracle you can perform today. Check out Compassion. Give. Sponsor a child. Be a miracle worker.

The Privilege

I have had the privilege of traveling to some of the poorest places in the world. I say privilege because I consider it just that. Walking with the poor is what Jesus did. Holding their hands is what He would do today. Ministering to them, He said, is ministering to Him. That’s a privilege. But all privileges come with a cost. In many cases, that cost is a broken heart. Sometimes, we need broken hearts.
I have been in a jungle in Thailand, where families live in shacks made of rotting wood, each built 3 feet above ground because every rainy season the entire village floods —taking lives and possessions away in the frantic current. I have seen how the families there endure the stifling heat, with little food to eat. Children, lethargic from lack of energy, don’t run or climb the massive trees that would provide perfect perches. Many of them work in the rice paddies to provide for their families.


I have been to Kenya, and sat with a family of five in their tiny 12x 14 home made of mud. I watched as the mother doled out one piece of bread to each family member for dinner. I saw her hungry children playing beneath the clothes-line with the only toys they had — clothespins. I saw where they sleep…mom, dad and three children, on one moldy mattress on the dirt floor.

In Bolivia, I met a four-year-old named Lalady. For some reason, I was drawn to her. I saw her across the playground at a Compassion project. I smiled. Within seconds, she was in my lap, touching my face with her sticky fingers…marveling at the color of my hair. We played together for nearly an hour. There was no language barrier. We just enjoyed each other's company. Then, her father came to pick her up at the project.

“She likes you.” He said in Spanish. (I know this only because there was an interpreter.)

“And I like her very much too!” I said.

“Maybe you could take her home with you.”

“Ha! Yeah! I wish I could!” I joked. Only daddy wasn’t joking. His face was serious.

“I have four other children. You could give her a much better life than I can.”

Whoa. What desperation leads a man to be willing to let his child go away with a stranger? How much love does he have for his daughter, that he’s willing to give her up, just so she can have a chance at a better life? I sat there, with little Lalady on my knee, my lip and chin quivering and my eyes filling with tears. My forehead sweating in the brutal Peruvian heat. My heart breaking.
And Lalady was one of the lucky ones. She has both parents who love her very much. She also has a sponsor that pays $32 a month to make sure she’s taken care of at the Compassion project. There, she gets a hot meal, a safe place to play. She learns about health and hygiene. More importantly, she hears about Jesus.

There are literally millions of children who need just those basic things: a hot meal, clothing, a safe haven, after-school mentoring…to hear the Gospel. You could do that for one of them. For a price that’s less than taking a family to the movies for two hours of entertainment, you can provide all of those basic life-giving necessities for a child in poverty for an entire month.

I urge you to go to Compassion's website and sponsor a child. It really is the least you can do. And I’ll be more than happy to share with you just how strategic it is. How much it changes a life. But you won’t have to take my word for it. You’ll get letters from your sponsored child, thanking you…little hand-drawn pictures telling you about his/her life. And you’ll be able to write too…and share your life with that little boy or girl on the other side of the world.

It’s a relationship.

It’s a privilege. And yes…this privilege will break your heart. Isn't it time your heart was broken?

Mayonnaise Sandwiches

When I was a kid I used to love mayonnaise sandwiches. That's right, just two pieces of bread, with a thick helping of Miracle Whip (which technically, isn't mayonnaise--it's salad dressing) in the middle. No meat, no cheese...no veggies. Just Miracle Whip and bread. I'm not sure how that started. Perhaps it's because we were so poor and often didn't have anything else to put between our two slices of Wonder Bread. It's not very nourishing. But at the time, it was a wonderful snack. And now, having grown up and had all sorts of meat-filled hoagies, clubs and Reubens, mayonnaise sandwiches don't sound very appealing.

As I look back on my spiritual journey, I realize how much of my life has been like that mayonnaise sandwich. I had the bread, but not much to put in the middle. My early walk with Christ was encapsulated in the only two things I really knew about Jesus:

1. He was born of a virgin, in a manger, under a bright star. Wise men came to see Him and brought Him gifts.

2. He was crucified for my sins. Died on the cross and after three days rose from the dead.

But I knew very little about the middle of the sandwich. What happened between birth and death? What did Jesus do with His time here on earth?

We can grow so complacent in our spiritual journeys that we forget about the middle of the story. And frankly, part of that may be the fault of the Church. Pastors--not all of them, but many--find it easy to talk about the bread. Sermons about how Jesus was born...and how He died for our sins are abundant. It's an easy topic to give the body. But what about the middle?

A recent Barna poll found that more than 50% of church-goers in the US said they had not heard a single sermon about ministering to the poor over the past year. Over 50%! But so much of what Jesus did was ministering to those who were hungry, thirsty, hurting, sick, lame, blind...poor. Jesus spent the better part of His ministry addressing those needs. And He told us to do likewise. Why isn't the Church teaching about the middle?

Seems to me that ministering to the poor ought to be the MOST preached topic in the Church today...not one of the least. If we truly want to be Christ-like, and we should, then let's start teaching Christ's message to the Church. Let's start doing what Jesus told us to do...and start serving the poor.

There are so many ways to get involved:

• Volunteer in a homeless shelter.


• Serve food to the poor at a soup kitchen.


• Sponsor a child living in poverty.


• 
  
  Give to your church's food pantry.

There's something every person can do. Jesus told us to do it. Anything less...is just a mayonnaise sandwich.