After seeing a heartrending presentation about Compassion International at a conference, my husband and I decided to sponsor a child. Looking through the children’s pictures online, I was drawn to one little girl in Burkina Faso. She had been on the list to receive a sponsor for more than a year. Wearing a faded Angry Birds t-shirt, ragged denim shorts, and white flip flops, she stood in front of a tree and scowled at the camera. I fell in love.
Helene’s birthday was just two days before our granddaughter’s. They were both four years old, another reason we connected with her. After we committed to sponsoring this child, I looked up the meaning of her name and cried when I learned that it meant the same as our granddaughter’s—light. Now we had two little lights in our lives.
God created light, commanding it to “shine out of darkness.” But to overcome sin, he sent the Light of the World, Jesus. There is no corner too far and no heart so dark that His light cannot penetrate and purify. His salvation is free to all who call him Lord and Master. In turn, He wants us to spread His message to the uttermost parts of the world. In today’s era of high-speed communication, we can share His light with others whom we will never meet in this life.
My daily prayer is that Helene will see God’s love shine through our sponsorship, our letters, and our encouragement and that she will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior. She may be only one child in an impoverished country, but she can have an impact on her family, her village, and beyond.
Two little lights—and we thank God for both of them. Many more children wait for sponsors. They lack adequate food, clean water, medical care, and education. But what they need most is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.” Can you send the message of Jesus to dispel the darkness in just one little life?
(Photo courtesy of microsoft office.)
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Thank you, Tracy, for your example and challenge.