"Every Child You Encounter Is A Divine Appointment"
Monday, September 21, 2009 at 8:10PM MAD21 By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)
"Every child you encounter is a divine appointment."
Wess Stafford, President, Compassion International
For those of you that do not know Dr. Wess Stafford is the CEO of Compassion International. I have not met the man but consider him one of my heroes. I look forward to meeting and hearing him speak in person when I attend the National Advocates Conference in Colorado next week. He is a humble man that is more comfortable sitting on the floor with some sponsored children rather than in a boardroom. His quote above I believe should be burned on our hearts.
Obviously as an Area Coordinator for Compassion I look at every child packet as an opportunity to change two lives. The first is obviously the child's. Sponsorship will give them a chance that they might not have had before. However a sponsor's life will also be changed as they begin to build that relationship. Those that know my testimony know how true this is. Sponsorship changes everyone involved. What more of a divine appointment could there be from God?
But what about our roles as parents? Are not our children also divine appointments? Of course they are. They are a blessing given to us from Him. It is our calling to make a difference in our child's life. It is our calling to teach, nurture, love and care for them as He cares for us. We should raise them in a way that would glorify our maker. It is our words and actions that grow to be part of our children. If we honestly do not look at our role as parents as a divine appointment then we are missing the boat. We are actually short changing our roles as parents. How much better it is to take that approach ( that our children are divine appointments) and make everything we do reflect that adage.
Every ministry of the church is important but I cannot begin to stress the importance of Children's Ministry. They are our future and lifeblood of the church. Without the next generation there will be no church. Obviously this ministry is not for everyone but if this is your calling again I beseech you to approach your work with children as a divine appointment. Look at those precious children and realize that you are Making A Difference in their lives. You have the opportunity to mold them to be great Christian men and women.
Even in the secular world this adage works. Non-Christians may not accept the "divine appointment" part but if they realize that children are a gift and not a burden and approach their relationships with kids with an attitude similar to this we could go so far in making the difference in children's lives. Things such as abuse, self-esteem issues, depression and all of the other things that seem to be the norm in society now would be diminished.
In closing I encourage you to spread the thought that children are a divine appointment. I encourage you to pray that this will become a view that is spread by many. I encourage you to hold this thought close to your heart and to make a difference in each child's life that you touch.
Reader Comments (2)
Great thoughts Chuck! Children are truly a gift and we need to treat them accordingly!
Thanks! I have always been involved with Children's Ministry in some form but really believe in Compassion's ministry....children are indeed our future.