Contributed by Randi Jo Rooks / edited by Paula Hemphill One of my first thoughts when I considered becoming a child ambassador for World Vision was: I don’t want people to feel like they are a target. I’d made this mistake in the past– being so passionate about MY agenda (even if it was an amazing & godly one) that I didn’t actually even SEE the person in front of me. I’ve also had this happen to me way too often and it hurts. I remember one particular lonely season I went through where I really just needed to be seen. However, it seemed that despite my prayers, the Lord only brought people into my life that just wanted something from me. They wanted me to come to church to increase their attendance, to invite me to their network marketing business, or to invite me to buy one of their products. If I didn’t say “yes” to whatever the person was asking of me, they disappeared. I’m so grateful the Lord allowed me to go through this pain. It was such a special lesson that He would use to bless others in my future. I knew that if I was accepted as a Child Ambassador, I wanted the mindset that I was not just trying to get from people, I was giving an opportunity and a blessing. All this world does is ask, ask, ask of us without even seeing us. But the Lord... He cares about the ONE and He cares so intimately. I knew He would want me to be a good steward of the heart right in front of me. So He had me write down a list of ways that sponsorship blesses the sponsor. {side note: I encourage you if you haven’t already, to write down what you are offering. Write down all the ways that sponsorship blesses the sponsor! I would love to share my own list with you sometime, but I encourage you to write your own with the Lord!} We are on mission to help the poor. Children born into material poverty. But also the poor around us. Poverty comes in so many forms. In our culture, we are a self-focused people full of poverty of mind, spirit, and relationship. We are a people that trust in self-- not God. So you and I, as ambassadors, we are missionaries here and we are on our field. God has planted us exactly where He wants us and His Word is clear. We represent Him. We are His ambassadors. In these past four years as a Child Ambassador, I have found that oftentimes what starts as a World Vision conversation turns into a much deeper conversation. Conversations about God’s love, the meaning of “blessing”, and most often His undeserved favor and grace. Many times these conversations lead me to ask the person to sponsor… but sometimes they don’t. And that’s ok. Many times, I believe that the very pain this person in front of me is sharing could be comforted and helped by a connection with a World Vision child. The perspective that comes with a global mentality that sponsorship gives is truly one of the ways the Lord is healing the poverty around us. We must have an urgency to be the voice for children that are suffering, but more and more I am hearing the Lord to ask me to let Him be the pace setter. I must rest in His sovereignty and know that my CA ministry is a marathon. I can have spurts of sprints, but ultimately, I realize I am an ambassador for life and He is helping my rash personality trust His pace. I believe that more children will be sponsored in the long run because I obey what He is asking of me now. Every ministry is different and how we minister will look different. Our paces are different. We each have different personalities and different callings. Our fields are full of different people, so we cannot compare our ministries to each other! We are His ambassadors! We have the Living Water in us. We have what the world is in desperate need of! So be a good steward of the hearts right in front of you. Listen to them. See the person right in front of you. See how you can bless and encourage them and have God’s love for them. Do not let your heart become bitter or prideful at any lack of compassion, any materialistic mindset, or self righteousness you see in the person in front of you. Instead, see their poverty. Believe the Lord can free them. Offer the gift of sponsorship and plant small seeds and pray for that soul! The field is right around us and we are His ambassadors. |
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