"If the God you believe in as an idea doesn’t start showing up in what happens to you in your own life, you have as much cause for concern as if the God you don’t believe in as an idea does start showing up. It is absolutely crucial, therefore, to keep in constant touch with what is going on in your own life’s story and to pay close attention to what is going on in the stories of others’ lives. If God is present anywhere, it is in those stories that God is present. If God is not present in those stories, then they are scarcely worth telling." ~ Frederick Buechner

07 May 2015

Thank You, Mama: A Compassion Post


Our dishwasher has been broken for over a week now.

As I wash countless plates, utensils, bowls, sippy cups, water bottles, and lunch containers, I've been thinking a lot about my mom. My resilient mama, who raised us in a developing country, without many of the luxuries and conveniences I have as a young mother.

Without being able to just pick up the phone and call a pediatrician, much less a reliable doctor, whenever one of us spiked a high temperature.

Who wiped away the red, red dust of west Africa off our floors and furniture every day with just a damp rag, because there were no such things as Swiffers there.

Being hundreds and thousands of miles away from her own mama, sending her faded blue airmail letters and cassette tapes of me singing favorite children's songs and reading stories as a young child.

And truly doing it all on her own, because without being fluent in the languages of her host culture, there weren't a whole lot of friends to pick from, no one to really offer her a support system whatsoever.
Thank you, mama.

*As you pray over your Compassion children, please also remember their precious mamas, who are working so hard and sacrificing so much so their children can have better futures.