Broken Hearted: Growing Pains Hurt

Compassion International - Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name

My heart is breaking today.  Not because of sadness, but because of God convicting me…and growing pains hurt.

It started today by reading a blog post:
So That Others May Simply Live

I wouldn’t recommend reading it unless you want your heart to be changed.
It did mine.

When I read about up close and personal experiences of this group of women traveling in the Phillippines with Compassion International, I was amazed at the pictures of poverty shown.  This was not dramatic tv…this was real life, about real people.

It got me to think.  Should I too, donate $38/month to sponsor one of these children?  To help provide them a hope and a future?  I appreciated how the article explained where the funds were specifically going – that it was more than just a meal.

So, then I take a look at my budget and began thinking, “What can I change to do this?”  I sometimes get criticism from others when they hear I have a landscaper, pay someone to wash our windows, or shampoo our carpets.  “I do those things myself to save money…” I hear some of them say.

“Are these additional expenses I should cut?” I think to myself.  But as I reflect further, I realize that my husband and I are frugal in many areas of our lives to afford these services.  Sure, I can save an additional $70/mo. and cut our own lawn – but then that guy would have to scramble elsewhere to make up that loss of income to provide for his family.

I realized that I sacrifice in many areas, so that I can provide jobs to others who need it. 

I also realized that giving to one person (or organization) is not better or worse than giving to another.  It’s about the heart – having a heart to give.  Not out of guilt, but because I can.

My family is blessed.  We are debt-free (with the exception of our mortgage), and make sacrifices daily to stay that way.  I’ve recently decided to cut out cable for the summer for a number of reasons (I’m sure this will be in another post).  We hadn’t decided, yet, what to do with the extra funds we would save.  My husband and I will prayerfully decide where to best put these funds.  Perhaps we will decide to sponsor a child.

It has just been, within the last week or so, the thought to cancel our cable.  Perhaps this was God’s way of preparing my heart that I don’t have to “fire” my landscaper to sponsor a child – I can do both.