Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
I Will Sing Praise!
All of us have burdens in our lives, so it is no surprise that orphaned and vulnerable children feel them as well. These are children who have lost their families, their safety, and their hope of a future; children who do not know where their next meal will come from; children who don’t have someone telling them they are loved every night.
Children from these difficult circumstances often have many things weighing on them. But the truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection can lift those burdens away. During the His Little Feet Children’s Choir Tour and Life Training Academy, we strive to instill this hope and peace in children and allow them to experience the love of Jesus. In this, these children can find true rest from the burdens of this world.
Ten-year-old Falencia from Haiti, who was part of the 2010-2011 His Little Feet Children’s Choir, shares about her experiences while a part of the His Little Feet tour- what she liked to do when she was here and what she learned along the way:
“My name is Falencia. I loved coming to America to be a part of His Little Feet. I liked days off with my host family because we did a lot of fun things. I really liked going bowling, skating, and to Incredible Pizza. My favorite song in the concert was ‘Today is the Day.’ I liked singing for Jesus in concerts because God loved it when I did. My favorite state is Tennessee because I have a sponsor that lives there. This past year I learned how to talk French well. I also read 'Pilgrim’s Progress'. The book was about a man that had a burden on his back. He went to the cross to get his burden off. The burden was his past sin. Jesus made the burden get off. Psalm 101 is my favorite Bible chapter.”
Psalm 101:1 says, “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise” (NIV).
What an amazing testimony from this little girl, who has seen Jesus remove burdens from her life and bring her to a place of love and peace.
This serves as a reminder for all of us that Jesus died to take the weight of sin, death and sorrow off our shoulders. We praise Him for what He has done, and we praise the Lord for the work He is doing in children just like Falencia.
Children from these difficult circumstances often have many things weighing on them. But the truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection can lift those burdens away. During the His Little Feet Children’s Choir Tour and Life Training Academy, we strive to instill this hope and peace in children and allow them to experience the love of Jesus. In this, these children can find true rest from the burdens of this world.
Ten-year-old Falencia from Haiti, who was part of the 2010-2011 His Little Feet Children’s Choir, shares about her experiences while a part of the His Little Feet tour- what she liked to do when she was here and what she learned along the way:
“My name is Falencia. I loved coming to America to be a part of His Little Feet. I liked days off with my host family because we did a lot of fun things. I really liked going bowling, skating, and to Incredible Pizza. My favorite song in the concert was ‘Today is the Day.’ I liked singing for Jesus in concerts because God loved it when I did. My favorite state is Tennessee because I have a sponsor that lives there. This past year I learned how to talk French well. I also read 'Pilgrim’s Progress'. The book was about a man that had a burden on his back. He went to the cross to get his burden off. The burden was his past sin. Jesus made the burden get off. Psalm 101 is my favorite Bible chapter.”
Psalm 101:1 says, “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise” (NIV).
What an amazing testimony from this little girl, who has seen Jesus remove burdens from her life and bring her to a place of love and peace.
This serves as a reminder for all of us that Jesus died to take the weight of sin, death and sorrow off our shoulders. We praise Him for what He has done, and we praise the Lord for the work He is doing in children just like Falencia.
Monday, September 5, 2011
TODAY IS THE DAY
How much do you remember from your childhood? Perhaps you can recall your first day at preschool, learning to ride a bike or the time you broke your arm falling off the monkey bars at recess.
For many of us, the days of our youth have faded to just a handful of memories. Like old photographs, we only have a few mental glimpses of what it was like to be a child.
Yet, if you think about it, those years shaped our lives perhaps more than any other period of time. The way we interacted with our parents, friends, and schoolteachers, the things we learned, and the joys and fears we encountered in many cases followed us straight through adulthood.
And most importantly, what we learned about God, Jesus and the Bible set the trajectory for our faith throughout our lives.
As Compassion International President and CEO Dr. Wess Stafford says in his book, Too Small to Ignore, childhood is too often viewed as a time of insignificance:
“Too many of us tend to treat childhood as a preamble to actual life, a vulnerable period of time merely to be survived in order to get on with the real business of being a valid, contributing member of the human family. This is the mind-set that causes us to speak of children as 'tomorrow’s world' or 'the church’s future.’ As noble as those phrases sound, they are all about pushing off the value of children to the Realm of Someday. Someday they will add value. Someday they will make a difference. Not today.” (page 15)
But the truth is far different. In reality, childhood is the time when humans’ hearts, minds and lives begin to take shape. What better time, then, to instill them with the most important knowledge and experience they can possibly have!
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Today there are millions of children around the world who are in need of help. His Little Feet is committed to making it possible for these children not only to receive necessary help and love, but also to encounter the truth and love of Jesus Christ. This encounter changes lives and puts children on an entirely new path.
And the exciting part is that each of us has the opportunity to make this kind of life-changing difference for a child. There are several ways to “(be in on it)” today, including…
GIVE: Your tax-deductible gift will help equip His Little Feet to continue the work of helping, loving and training orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide
SPONSOR: Sponsor a child overseas in need of care. His Little Feet works with Compassion International to provide opportunities for people, like you, to sponsor a child. Compassion International provides that child with a loving, church based child sponsorship program that provides the following: food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life-skills training, and most important of all, the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.
GO: Go on an international mission trip to serve orphaned and vulnerable children. His Little Feet works with Visiting Orphans to help enlist and equip individuals, groups and churches to go overseas to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of orphaned children. Visiting Orphans offers missions trips all over the world.
ADOPT: Adopt a child that needs a family. His Little Feet refers families interested in adoption to America World Adoption. America World is committed to helping America’s families and the world’s orphans experience the love of God in Jesus through the “Spirit of Adoption.” America World is a Christ-centered organization that values the right of every child to have a family and believes adoption is a God-ordained way to build a family.
You can learn about each of these opportunities through the “(be in on it.)” campaign on the His Little Feet web site.
What an incredible opportunity we have to help set the trajectory of a child’s life! Please consider forwarding this blog to friends, family members, church leaders and others who are passionate about caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.
We all know how fast childhood goes – most of us couldn’t even make it past the first monkey bar anymore. For the millions of children in the world today who need the love of Jesus, we have no time to delay.
Today is the day!
For many of us, the days of our youth have faded to just a handful of memories. Like old photographs, we only have a few mental glimpses of what it was like to be a child.
Yet, if you think about it, those years shaped our lives perhaps more than any other period of time. The way we interacted with our parents, friends, and schoolteachers, the things we learned, and the joys and fears we encountered in many cases followed us straight through adulthood.
And most importantly, what we learned about God, Jesus and the Bible set the trajectory for our faith throughout our lives.
As Compassion International President and CEO Dr. Wess Stafford says in his book, Too Small to Ignore, childhood is too often viewed as a time of insignificance:
“Too many of us tend to treat childhood as a preamble to actual life, a vulnerable period of time merely to be survived in order to get on with the real business of being a valid, contributing member of the human family. This is the mind-set that causes us to speak of children as 'tomorrow’s world' or 'the church’s future.’ As noble as those phrases sound, they are all about pushing off the value of children to the Realm of Someday. Someday they will add value. Someday they will make a difference. Not today.” (page 15)
But the truth is far different. In reality, childhood is the time when humans’ hearts, minds and lives begin to take shape. What better time, then, to instill them with the most important knowledge and experience they can possibly have!
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Today there are millions of children around the world who are in need of help. His Little Feet is committed to making it possible for these children not only to receive necessary help and love, but also to encounter the truth and love of Jesus Christ. This encounter changes lives and puts children on an entirely new path.
And the exciting part is that each of us has the opportunity to make this kind of life-changing difference for a child. There are several ways to “(be in on it)” today, including…
GIVE: Your tax-deductible gift will help equip His Little Feet to continue the work of helping, loving and training orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide
SPONSOR: Sponsor a child overseas in need of care. His Little Feet works with Compassion International to provide opportunities for people, like you, to sponsor a child. Compassion International provides that child with a loving, church based child sponsorship program that provides the following: food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life-skills training, and most important of all, the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.
GO: Go on an international mission trip to serve orphaned and vulnerable children. His Little Feet works with Visiting Orphans to help enlist and equip individuals, groups and churches to go overseas to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of orphaned children. Visiting Orphans offers missions trips all over the world.
ADOPT: Adopt a child that needs a family. His Little Feet refers families interested in adoption to America World Adoption. America World is committed to helping America’s families and the world’s orphans experience the love of God in Jesus through the “Spirit of Adoption.” America World is a Christ-centered organization that values the right of every child to have a family and believes adoption is a God-ordained way to build a family.
You can learn about each of these opportunities through the “(be in on it.)” campaign on the His Little Feet web site.
What an incredible opportunity we have to help set the trajectory of a child’s life! Please consider forwarding this blog to friends, family members, church leaders and others who are passionate about caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.
We all know how fast childhood goes – most of us couldn’t even make it past the first monkey bar anymore. For the millions of children in the world today who need the love of Jesus, we have no time to delay.
Today is the day!
Monday, August 29, 2011
GO!
One of the unique pieces of His Little Feet’s ministry is the opportunity for Americans to come face-to-face with orphaned and vulnerable children from around the world.
Through the His Little Feet Children’s Choir, people have a chance to meet, talk to and be impacted by children from countries thousands of miles away.
This experience gives a face and name to the desperate situation millions of children find themselves in our world. Being able to directly impact the life of an orphan often inspires an even deeper passion in people to bring God’s love to those in need.
At His Little Feet, we also believe that Christians are called to go love and serve these children where they are. In Jesus’ final message to his followers, he established this concept:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19-20
As part of the nationwide “(be in on it.)” campaign, His Little Feet partners with a great ministry called Visiting Orphans to enable Christians to go and impact the lives of children in need worldwide.
Established in 2005 by America World Adoption Association, Visiting Orphans’ mission is to create a way for people to fulfill the Biblical mandate given in James 1:27 of “visiting orphans” in their distress.
Since then, the organization has led mission trips for churches, schools and individuals from around the United States, allowing them to be the hands and feet of Jesus to precious children worldwide.
Visiting Orphans trips have gone to orphanages around the world, including China, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Ecuador, Ukraine, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, India and Costa Rica.
While on a Visiting Orphans trip, participants get the opportunity to meet, love, play with and – most importantly – share God’s love with hundreds of children.
For anyone who has a heart for children in need, a trip through Visiting Orphans may serve as the gateway to further involvement in caring for orphaned and vulnerable kids. And Visiting Orphans makes it easy, handling all of the organization, travel arrangements and in-country coordination.
If you are interested in going on a mission trip, we encourage you to consider Visiting Orphans.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity. We know that your life will be changed forever if you take that first step:
Go.
For more information, visit www.VisitingOrphans.org.
Through the His Little Feet Children’s Choir, people have a chance to meet, talk to and be impacted by children from countries thousands of miles away.
This experience gives a face and name to the desperate situation millions of children find themselves in our world. Being able to directly impact the life of an orphan often inspires an even deeper passion in people to bring God’s love to those in need.
At His Little Feet, we also believe that Christians are called to go love and serve these children where they are. In Jesus’ final message to his followers, he established this concept:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19-20
As part of the nationwide “(be in on it.)” campaign, His Little Feet partners with a great ministry called Visiting Orphans to enable Christians to go and impact the lives of children in need worldwide.
Established in 2005 by America World Adoption Association, Visiting Orphans’ mission is to create a way for people to fulfill the Biblical mandate given in James 1:27 of “visiting orphans” in their distress.
Since then, the organization has led mission trips for churches, schools and individuals from around the United States, allowing them to be the hands and feet of Jesus to precious children worldwide.
Visiting Orphans trips have gone to orphanages around the world, including China, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Ecuador, Ukraine, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, India and Costa Rica.
While on a Visiting Orphans trip, participants get the opportunity to meet, love, play with and – most importantly – share God’s love with hundreds of children.
For anyone who has a heart for children in need, a trip through Visiting Orphans may serve as the gateway to further involvement in caring for orphaned and vulnerable kids. And Visiting Orphans makes it easy, handling all of the organization, travel arrangements and in-country coordination.
If you are interested in going on a mission trip, we encourage you to consider Visiting Orphans.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity. We know that your life will be changed forever if you take that first step:
Go.
For more information, visit www.VisitingOrphans.org.
Monday, August 22, 2011
“Jesus made my heart sing.”
What a powerful message! These words come from 13-year-old Daphney, one of the girls from Haiti who traveled with the His Little Feet Children’s Choir from November 2010-May 2011.
How often do you hear a 13-year-old say something so significant? At His Little Feet, our desire is for all of the choir children to be able to identify the true reason for the songs they sing – Jesus Christ.
So, what makes your heart sing? Do you have a reason to sing each day? Are you giving the Lord all the praise He deserves?
As we press forward, may we allow the love of Christ to be the reason we sing…
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
Below, Daphney shares in her own words some reflections from her time in the States and important things she learned:
“My name is Daphney. I decided to come to America because I wanted to sing. When we stayed in host homes, I enjoyed our time off when we got to see new places. One of my favorite places to visit was the mall because it was fun to look at the clothes and shoes. California was my favorite state in America because the weather and green grass reminded me of Haiti.
When we had school on the road, I enjoyed helping some of the younger children learn their French lessons. One of the new and favorite words I learned in English was ‘FYI- For Your Information’. The song in the concert I liked the best was 'Today is the Day' because the movements were fun. The concerts are important because they help children around the world get sponsored and adopted. I am thankful that God used me to help children.”
How often do you hear a 13-year-old say something so significant? At His Little Feet, our desire is for all of the choir children to be able to identify the true reason for the songs they sing – Jesus Christ.
So, what makes your heart sing? Do you have a reason to sing each day? Are you giving the Lord all the praise He deserves?
As we press forward, may we allow the love of Christ to be the reason we sing…
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
Below, Daphney shares in her own words some reflections from her time in the States and important things she learned:
“My name is Daphney. I decided to come to America because I wanted to sing. When we stayed in host homes, I enjoyed our time off when we got to see new places. One of my favorite places to visit was the mall because it was fun to look at the clothes and shoes. California was my favorite state in America because the weather and green grass reminded me of Haiti.
When we had school on the road, I enjoyed helping some of the younger children learn their French lessons. One of the new and favorite words I learned in English was ‘FYI- For Your Information’. The song in the concert I liked the best was 'Today is the Day' because the movements were fun. The concerts are important because they help children around the world get sponsored and adopted. I am thankful that God used me to help children.”
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sponsor a child today!
One of the purposes of His Little Feet is to equip people like you and me to practically respond to the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide.
Our goal is to do this by presenting the “(be in on it.)” campaign, which offers four tangible ways people can become involved in orphan care. Those four ways are to:
Give to His Little Feet
Sponsor a child through Compassion International
Go on a mission trip through Visiting Orphans
Adopt through America World Adoption
Each of these is an amazing way to respond to God’s call to care for the orphan. We believe that every person – no matter the age or stage of life – can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
Today we focus on Child Sponsorship – a powerful and yet simple way to impact the life of a child.
His Little Feet is blessed to work in conjunction with Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that works to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. What makes Compassion International’s child development program unique is that it is Christ centered, child focused, church based and committed to integrity.
Compassion believes in a holistic child development model that equips children with the knowledge, skills and opportunity needed to function as independent, Christian adults. Today, over 1.2 million children in 26 countries are cared for through Compassion.
One of the unique features of Compassion’s sponsorship model is that they believe in a one sponsor-one child design, which allows for a strong connection and personal relationship that goes far beyond financial support.
Through monthly gifts, prayer and letter writing, Compassion encourages sponsors to directly invest in a child’s life. For $38 a month, the organization is able to provide a child in need with:
• Ongoing Christian training
• Educational opportunities
• Treatment and training to maintain child health
• Development of self-confidence and social skills
• Key life skills and vocational programs
Thanks to people like you, over 600 children were sponsored through Compassion International during the 2010-2011 His Little Feet children’s choir tour!
This means that hundreds of children in need in over a dozen countries around the world have been positively impacted forever thanks to the commitment of individuals thousands of miles away.
If you currently sponsor a child, that’s great! We encourage you to take another step by sharing this blog with 5 of your friends….encourage them to consider sponsoring a child today!
If you are not currently sponsoring a child, please consider starting today! What an incredible, tangible opportunity to “(be in on it.)” when it comes to sharing Christ’s love with orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide.
"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." – Matthew 10:42
For more information on Child Sponsorship through Compassion International, visit the His Little Feet website: http://hislittlefeet.org/Sponsor.html.
Our goal is to do this by presenting the “(be in on it.)” campaign, which offers four tangible ways people can become involved in orphan care. Those four ways are to:
Give to His Little Feet
Sponsor a child through Compassion International
Go on a mission trip through Visiting Orphans
Adopt through America World Adoption
Each of these is an amazing way to respond to God’s call to care for the orphan. We believe that every person – no matter the age or stage of life – can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
Today we focus on Child Sponsorship – a powerful and yet simple way to impact the life of a child.
His Little Feet is blessed to work in conjunction with Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that works to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. What makes Compassion International’s child development program unique is that it is Christ centered, child focused, church based and committed to integrity.
Compassion believes in a holistic child development model that equips children with the knowledge, skills and opportunity needed to function as independent, Christian adults. Today, over 1.2 million children in 26 countries are cared for through Compassion.
One of the unique features of Compassion’s sponsorship model is that they believe in a one sponsor-one child design, which allows for a strong connection and personal relationship that goes far beyond financial support.
Through monthly gifts, prayer and letter writing, Compassion encourages sponsors to directly invest in a child’s life. For $38 a month, the organization is able to provide a child in need with:
• Ongoing Christian training
• Educational opportunities
• Treatment and training to maintain child health
• Development of self-confidence and social skills
• Key life skills and vocational programs
Thanks to people like you, over 600 children were sponsored through Compassion International during the 2010-2011 His Little Feet children’s choir tour!
This means that hundreds of children in need in over a dozen countries around the world have been positively impacted forever thanks to the commitment of individuals thousands of miles away.
If you currently sponsor a child, that’s great! We encourage you to take another step by sharing this blog with 5 of your friends….encourage them to consider sponsoring a child today!
If you are not currently sponsoring a child, please consider starting today! What an incredible, tangible opportunity to “(be in on it.)” when it comes to sharing Christ’s love with orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide.
"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." – Matthew 10:42
For more information on Child Sponsorship through Compassion International, visit the His Little Feet website: http://hislittlefeet.org/Sponsor.html.
Monday, August 8, 2011
A Big Step in the Right Direction
Every once in a while, we are given the opportunity to take a step forward in support of a worthy cause.
Sometimes, we get the chance to take more than just a few steps. Say, about 2,000 of them.
Over 170 people took about that many steps (or more) this past Friday night, participating in the second annual His Little Feet Step Up! 5K Walk/Run in Windsor, Colorado.
The number of registered runners and walkers was twice the amount that of last year’s event.
And thanks to the hard work of dozens of volunteers – most of whom were Ellerslie students – over $7,000 was raised for His Little Feet in preparation for the 2011-2012 Children’s Choir tour. Praise God!
Many of the race participants raised generous support through personal sponsorships leading up to the event. Congratulations to Sarah Rice and Lydia Covey, who finished first and second in terms of sponsorships.
And, of course, there was a race to be run as well on Friday night. Among the runners, Nick Thompson finished the fastest, coming in with an impressive time of 20:33 – or under seven minutes per mile. Elliot Ball wasn’t far behind, with a time of 21:18.
Every single runner and walker – young, older, male and female - finished a great race on a beautiful summer evening in Windsor.
His Little Feet would like to sincerely thank all of our runners/walkers, volunteers, and everyone at Ellerslie for helping to create an enormously successful event! We are so blessed to have each of you as a part of our ministry.
And most of all, we’d like to thank God for continuing to bless the ministry of His Little Feet. The 2011-2012 His Little Feet Children’s Choir national tour will be kicking off this coming October.
We are excited to see what God has in store for us this coming year.
If you missed out on the Step Up! 5K Walk/Run, make sure to keep an eye out for details on next year’s event beginning in the spring.
Our goal for the event next year is 500 runners/walkers. It might sound daunting, but with your help, we know we can do it!
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Sometimes, we get the chance to take more than just a few steps. Say, about 2,000 of them.
Over 170 people took about that many steps (or more) this past Friday night, participating in the second annual His Little Feet Step Up! 5K Walk/Run in Windsor, Colorado.
The number of registered runners and walkers was twice the amount that of last year’s event.
And thanks to the hard work of dozens of volunteers – most of whom were Ellerslie students – over $7,000 was raised for His Little Feet in preparation for the 2011-2012 Children’s Choir tour. Praise God!
Many of the race participants raised generous support through personal sponsorships leading up to the event. Congratulations to Sarah Rice and Lydia Covey, who finished first and second in terms of sponsorships.
And, of course, there was a race to be run as well on Friday night. Among the runners, Nick Thompson finished the fastest, coming in with an impressive time of 20:33 – or under seven minutes per mile. Elliot Ball wasn’t far behind, with a time of 21:18.
Every single runner and walker – young, older, male and female - finished a great race on a beautiful summer evening in Windsor.
His Little Feet would like to sincerely thank all of our runners/walkers, volunteers, and everyone at Ellerslie for helping to create an enormously successful event! We are so blessed to have each of you as a part of our ministry.
And most of all, we’d like to thank God for continuing to bless the ministry of His Little Feet. The 2011-2012 His Little Feet Children’s Choir national tour will be kicking off this coming October.
We are excited to see what God has in store for us this coming year.
If you missed out on the Step Up! 5K Walk/Run, make sure to keep an eye out for details on next year’s event beginning in the spring.
Our goal for the event next year is 500 runners/walkers. It might sound daunting, but with your help, we know we can do it!
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Monday, August 1, 2011
Listening to His Voice
The following is written by Christa Hahn, Founder and Vice President of His Little Feet.
This week, while studying Matthew 11, I challenged myself to reflect back and remember experiences that God put in my life to expose His voice, His heart, His agenda and His presence. Here is how Matthew 11 jumped off the page into my heart and mind, in the context of helping, loving and training orphaned and vulnerable children:
In 2004, I asked a little orphan girl from India, “Why do you think I should travel with the orphan choir?” She turned to me and simply said, “Because God says you should. That is His heart. And you should want to do what His heart cares about.” God’s voice, out of the mouth of a child, is what sealed the deal for me…my life’s desires were not my own…I was to take on God’s heart and follow after those things.
“He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 11: 15)
In 2006: “Do they not hear us Auntie? Do they not hear what we are singing about? Do they not understand Who we are singing to?” asked one of our little boys from Africa, after a concert one night. I replied, “Well, I think they can hear you, but it seems like their hearts are not hearing the message. They must be thinking about other things.” He said back to me with tears in his eyes, “I think they have so much stuff and are so busy that they can’t hear God. All I want is for them to hear about and know Jesus. I am sad for them.”
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’” (Matthew 11: 16-17)
In 2007, a little girl shared, “Inside my hut the rebels held a gun to my head and asked me where my parents were. I was so scared and I remember praying and asking God to just make the rebels go away. Immediately the rebels heard a noise in the bushes outside and went outside to figure out who was there.The rebels got distracted by another group of rebels advancing onto a nearby village and went after them. I experienced a miracle that day. God spared my life, when it could have been quickly ended.”
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11: 25)
In 2008, a little boy from Africa, with tears welling up in his eyes, cried, “My daddy died. My daddy was killed. All I want is a daddy, Uncle Mikey.” Wow! What a gripping, heart-wrenching statement from an 8-year-old boy. What do you say? What do you do? Mike swooped the little boy up in his arms, as the little one sobbed and sobbed. Mike softly said, “Your earthly daddy is gone, but your heavenly Father is here with us right now. And Uncle Mikey is here with you and I love you very much.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Reflecting back is sometimes painful, sometimes eye-opening, and always full of God’s beckoning to my heart to know Him deeper.
Every story of pain I hear draws me closer to Him. Because only through Jesus Christ can we truly find hope for the orphan, healing for the broken and rest for our souls.
Lord, please allow me to see more of the pain that Your children have experienced, that I might trust You more and more and draw closer to You.
This week, while studying Matthew 11, I challenged myself to reflect back and remember experiences that God put in my life to expose His voice, His heart, His agenda and His presence. Here is how Matthew 11 jumped off the page into my heart and mind, in the context of helping, loving and training orphaned and vulnerable children:
In 2004, I asked a little orphan girl from India, “Why do you think I should travel with the orphan choir?” She turned to me and simply said, “Because God says you should. That is His heart. And you should want to do what His heart cares about.” God’s voice, out of the mouth of a child, is what sealed the deal for me…my life’s desires were not my own…I was to take on God’s heart and follow after those things.
“He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 11: 15)
In 2006: “Do they not hear us Auntie? Do they not hear what we are singing about? Do they not understand Who we are singing to?” asked one of our little boys from Africa, after a concert one night. I replied, “Well, I think they can hear you, but it seems like their hearts are not hearing the message. They must be thinking about other things.” He said back to me with tears in his eyes, “I think they have so much stuff and are so busy that they can’t hear God. All I want is for them to hear about and know Jesus. I am sad for them.”
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’” (Matthew 11: 16-17)
In 2007, a little girl shared, “Inside my hut the rebels held a gun to my head and asked me where my parents were. I was so scared and I remember praying and asking God to just make the rebels go away. Immediately the rebels heard a noise in the bushes outside and went outside to figure out who was there.The rebels got distracted by another group of rebels advancing onto a nearby village and went after them. I experienced a miracle that day. God spared my life, when it could have been quickly ended.”
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11: 25)
In 2008, a little boy from Africa, with tears welling up in his eyes, cried, “My daddy died. My daddy was killed. All I want is a daddy, Uncle Mikey.” Wow! What a gripping, heart-wrenching statement from an 8-year-old boy. What do you say? What do you do? Mike swooped the little boy up in his arms, as the little one sobbed and sobbed. Mike softly said, “Your earthly daddy is gone, but your heavenly Father is here with us right now. And Uncle Mikey is here with you and I love you very much.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Reflecting back is sometimes painful, sometimes eye-opening, and always full of God’s beckoning to my heart to know Him deeper.
Every story of pain I hear draws me closer to Him. Because only through Jesus Christ can we truly find hope for the orphan, healing for the broken and rest for our souls.
Lord, please allow me to see more of the pain that Your children have experienced, that I might trust You more and more and draw closer to You.
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