I heard it said many times during conference weekend that God was “pulling on the strings” of heart as we gathered together to learn, reflect, celebrate, and be challenged on the divine calling on our lives.
You see, the beauty and power of conference for me is that drawing together of God’s orchestra, and as only the divine composer can do, begins to write a new symphony. A new piece that draws us in to wonder, amazement, and holiness. The piece has moments of deep tension, dissonance, and heartbreak but also moments of overflowing joy, gratitude, and reconciliation. Imagine if you could, your part beginning as a solo, then a duo, a trio, a quartet, and quintet and eventually a large, full, powerful orchestra in the hands of the maestro Jesus; moving and pulling out the sound and unity of many individuals sounding in harmony. This is conference. This is a new piece. This is holy ground. It’s hard to explain how so many people from such diverse backgrounds could be drawn in by a common purpose but somehow God has ordained it, orchestrated it, and empowered it to be the hope of the world. I fully believe that as our loving father looks over at us, especially when we are together, He exclaims, “It is very good!” contributed by Paula Hemphill Have you ever wondered how some of us came to be here? What is it that makes us child ambassadors? I know I do! So, I did a little research, and this is what I've learned: You might be a child ambassador if your wardrobe suddenly turns orange. You might be a child ambassador if your son gets an orange trombone. You might be a child ambassador if you proudly wear a World Vision badge clip at work just so people can ask you about it-- and they do, all the time! You might be a child ambassador if you want to sponsor every picture folder you get from World Vision. You might be a child ambassador if you believe any amount of help is better than no help at all. You might be a child ambassador if you get excited about the plumber coming to your house because it might be a new opportunity to get a child sponsored. You might be a child ambassador if the word "YES" is the most beautiful and exciting word in the world to you. You might be a Child Ambassador if you can't remember the birthdays of your friends, cousins, and siblings but you can easily list the birthdays of a couple of kids from halfway around the world off the top of your head. You might be a child ambassador if you survived a camp out at a Christian hippie festival of 3000 (with a beer and hymnal tent) to share sponsorship and raise awareness for the Malaria Project. You might be a child ambassador if your enthusiasm for your own sponsored children cannot be contained. You might be a child ambassador if you cry whenever you hear of children and families in any kind of distress or trouble. You might be a child ambassador if you buy a goat instead of a Christmas Tree. You might be a child ambassador if you know who Bob Pierce is. You might be a child ambassador if you can't spend more than $39 on any item in the store for yourself. You might be a child ambassador if people ask who the other children on your fridge are. You might be a child ambassador if you want others to experience the joy of child sponsorship. You might be a child ambassador if you are so excited about your kid's mail from his sponsored child that you bring it to the car pick-up line so he can open it right away. You might be a child ambassador if you have more sponsored children than biological children. You might be a child ambassador if you like being the engine or caboose in a train dance at conference. You might be a child ambassador if you are thankful every time you have a glass of water. You might be a child ambassador if you approach every conversation as a double-Dutch jump rope game waiting for the right moment to interject child sponsorship. There are a million little things that make us child ambassadors. Some of them are humorous and some of them are serious. But we are child ambassadors and He is using each of us in our own special ways. I, for one, am thankful that we're in this together! We are a small orange army. And we are changing the world. Special thanks to: Terry Cooper, Shannon Legler, Penny Harrop, Kristen Buergey, Rob Lebby, Alice Lehew, Celeste Sherman, Tamara Vasquez, Kristen Herbst, Krystal Dittus, Vancellen Sturgeon, Sarah Achterhof, Cynthia Wellington, Brittany Stombaugh, Jim Naugle, and Javy Diaz for contributing each of these amazing child ambassador-isms.
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AuthorsGreater Together is a collaborative blog written by volunteer Child Ambassadors for World Vision. Categories
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