I have been touched by the love of God and the love of God flows through me

Emily, the author to the 500th comment on my blog, will be guest posting today!  I am so excited to have her here today.  She is such an inspiration :)  Emily enjoys writing letters, taking pictures, and reading.  She loves Jesus most of all.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:10 (NIV) 

This verse is a well known one. We can see the connection to Christ's suffering for us. Even Paul tells us that Jesus lay down His life for us in Romans 5:8. 

The verse prior to John 15:10 sheds meaning on what Jesus was getting at: 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:9 (NIV) 

We are touched by the love of God, and the love of God flows through us to others. We are to lay down our lives for others as God laid down His life for us. Christ gave us life through his death on the cross, and we have the joy of sharing His love with others and living it out. 

God brought me into His family in January of 2007 when I realized that, without Him, I was going to hell. He had touched my family a few years prior, delivering my mum from demon possession, but it wasn't until I recognized my personal need for Him that He personally affected my life. 

In the years that have passed, God's love continues to affect me deeply and, as I get to know Him better, He flows His love through me to others more and more. 

One of the ways I have seen Him do this is through my Compassion girls. 

I first became a sponsor in May of 2012. God showed me that I had enough allowance money to sponsor a child, and I became the doting sponsor of a little girl in Ethiopia. Within in two months, I had a correspondent child in Colombia. At the end of that 2012 I co sponsored another child in Ethiopia. In April of this year, I became a correspondent sponsor to three more girls in the Dominican Republic, and just recently added an Ecuadorian girl and a Tanzanian girl to my family.

It is God's command to His children to care for those in need and to share His love with those who don't know it. We are made in His image, and are called to walk in the ways of His Heart.
As we get to know God, we are transformed into His image.

Get to know God, and see what He will do with you when you are willing!

A Sudden Inspiration

"When she can't be here, can I fill in?  I know all the lines to the whole play!"

"Let me think about it.  I'll let you know."

Ten minutes later.....

"What are you doing?"

"I am memorizing Prisoner 3's lines.  I am going to fill in for her."

"What?!  I was hoping to do that.  I already know the lines."

"Well, I wish you could.  I didn't want to do this, but she asked me to."

"Oh."

I try not to think too much.  I guess I am not good enough for her.  After all, I got the fewest lines in the whole, two-act play.  I tried so hard though, and my memorization, I believed, was perfect.  Every word I knew by heart, wasn't that and a willing girl enough?  No?

I spent many tears because of that.  Simply, without words spoken, I wondered why she didn't choose me.  Sure, I was the quiet girl, but I listened to every word she said and did my best.  I couldn't understand how I was still not enough.  I was less than.

Before the performance at home, I sat on my mom's bed and cried.....because I wasn't good enough.  In that moment, I remember my mom.  She's the one who told me that it wasn't me - I was great, but she had chosen differently because she had.

Now, years later, I look at these precious faces.  And I wonder, is someone telling them that it isn't their fault?  They are precious beyond worth and just because they live in poverty, it doesn't have anything to do with who they are.  Just because she doesn't have a sponsor yet, it doesn't mean that she is ugly.  No, she is still beautiful and precious, but does she ever hear those words?

I don't know what her life is like, but I do know one thing - her life will be changed when a person across the world tells her that she is valued.  Will you tell a her that today?

Sponsor a Child 

What does love really mean?

WHAT LOVE REALLY MEANS

words and music by Dave and JJ Heller

He cries in the corner where nobody sees 

He’s the kid with the story no one would believe 

He prays every night,

“Dear God won’t you please, 

Could you send someone here who will love me?”

Who will love me for me 

Not for what I have done or what I will become 

Who will love me for me 

‘Cause nobody has shown me what love 

What love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day 

She’s the woman whose husband has run away 

She’ll go to the gym after working today 

Maybe if she was thinner 

Then he would’ve stayed And she says...

Who will love me for me 

Not for what I have done or what I will become 

Who will love me for me 

‘Cause nobody has shown me what love 

What love really means

He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone 

He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done 

He utters a cry from the depths of his soul 

“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside 

And it said, “I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied 

I have watched you suffer all of your life 

And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I...”

I will love you for you 

Not for what you have done or what you will become 

I will love you for you I will give you the love 

The love that you never knew

She sits in the corner of the market each day

She's the girl with the parents who've run away

She'll go home and study after selling all day

Maybe if she was smarter, they would have stayed

And she wonders...

Who will love me for me

Not for what I have done

Or what I will become

Who will love me for me

Cause nobody has shown me what love

What love really means

What love really means...

Will you love her for her?

to sponsor Doreen, please e-mail me at lizzie4compassion@gmail.com