Today I did something I'd been meaning to for a long time...I sponsored a world vision child, I believe one that is classified as a Hope child, meaning that their community is particularly affected by HIV/AIDS. My sponsored child is a little girl, six years old I believe named Atalia who shares the same birthday as I do :) I may not earn that much, but I can afford this. Of course, I had to leave the website quickly after sponsoring one, because I really don't have the funds to sponsor more than one at this point in my life, and I know that I would fall in love with each child! Ever since I was just a child myself, I'd been wanting to sponsor a child, in fact more than one year, I really wanted to say to my parents "How about for Christmas I get to sponsor a child instead of getting all these things?" but never managed the courage. I think it was once again a fear of being judged, and yet WHY I was afraid of being judged is beyond me...I have a feeling that my parents would have been proud of me to want to sponsor a child...I know my dad will I'm sure be just as happy as I am when I tell him, and I'm sure he'll enjoy maybe writing a letter here and there himself. I guess it's this whole thing where my mom was so concerned about finances and always feeling that we didn't have enough, but I guess priorities were different. I don't know exactly what the finances were like when I was young, my mom only worked through taking care of two little girls almost the exact same age as my older sister and I, which she says basically paid for our music lessons and not much else. I know that a deaconal minister's salary isn't crazy...but from what I've found, when things are balanced there is room for giving on almost any salary. At this point in my life, I am saving for a mortgage (!) and possibly a master's degree, but there isn't much else that I have to worry about, living at home.
Children are God's most precious blessing...and as my presbyterian church says, I can't remember the exact verse but it gos something like "how can I claim faith and service to God when I have not clothed my brother?" (now I'm curious and will have to look it up!!!!).
I have been blessed with so much, even in times of pain. I may not be able to go and work in Africa, but I CAN help a little girl from there.
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