my friends and compassion

Crystal - I somehow missed this post before & I guess the Lord led me to it at exactly the right time when it will give my heart & soul the lift that I genuinely need right now. Just seeing the words, “Compassion International” warmed my heart & brought so many wonderful memories & life lessons learned early on in my own childhood through their sponsorship program.
I’m 33 now & due to many fertility issues, miscarriages, etc. the good Lord blessed our family w/my 2 younger sisters…but not until I was 11 & 13 yrs. old~ I got to live life as an only child AND as and older sister essentially & what an amazing BLESSING that has been!!! However, prior to each of their arrivals & through all of those many difficult times…disappointments & what felt like, “impossible to ever get through”, heart aches… (Especially for a kid who’s Christmas list EVERY single year for as long as I could compose one, ALWAYS…ALWAYS…ALWAYS included one, key, item: “a baby brother or baby sister”. NOTHING mattered to me more~ & Prior to being old enough to actually understand the struggles that my poor parents were facing, trying to fulfill my wish (& of course theirs!) my mom had the wonderful idea of sponsoring a child!
It was LIFE CHANGING for me- thinking about it now even, probably more than I ever realized & I’d bet probably more than I ever really made it a point to share directly w/my parents either~ (Note to self to get on that stat…Life is too short to not share these things w/our people! Am I right or am I right!?!)
Anyways, not only did it give me someone special to connect w/that felt like a real extension of our little, nuclear family…but, it opened my eyes to so much beyond myself & my little bubble of a world…(That I didn’t even know I was living in prior to the whole sponsorship experience!)
I was so blessed to have parents that worked incredibly hard & sacrificed greatly to put me (& eventually my younger sisters) through the beat schools available & to travel extensively- but, I had no idea through those experiences what children, just like me in many ways, EXCEPT that they were living in places like Africa or Haiti…where as you know from your experiences, had VERY DIFFERENT & VERY REAL Struggles & Fears that I never, ever, ever would have to worry about in my blessed & protected life.
We chose a sponsorship in Haiti b/c we had friends who ran a mission there & bc my parents had visited there, on a cruise of all things! Prior to my birth, when it was a popular port of call stop! Can you imagine!?!? And, it just felt right…you know?
The girl that we sponsored was a part of out family until she “graduated” for lack of a better word from the program & we stayed in touch for quite a while Into her early adulthood as well. It was an incredible experience for me & such a binding experience for our family as well. All of her letters were so, so special! Getting to see them in her writing & then the translation attached was so neat to me as a kid! I LOVED getting those in the mail! & I loved learning as much as I could about what her life was really like there, about her family, scho (that was made possible for her through our sponsorship!!! Can you say CHOKE BACK THE TEARS! When I now think about how truly POWERFUL & empowering that really is! WOWZERS!!! I learned so much about empathy & generosity & loved doing things to her & her family when I personally could. I felt like I was doing something really impactful, even as “just a kid” & the life lessons that that taught me…PRICELESS!
The small amount of money that it cost to sponsor her monthly in the big scheme of our “American life” vs. The difference that that made in her life- I think is even more astonishing to me now, as an adult, than it was as a kid even. (Probably B/C I have a better understanding of $$ I assume…)
But, my point & ridiculously LONG (SORRY!!!) Heart out pouring here is that I can’t say…scratch that…SCREAM FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS!!! Enough!! PLEASE… DO THIS! Sponsor a child, or 2 or 3 or More. Make a donation- get your kids involved~ It WILL CHANGE their lives & teach them INVALUABLE life lessons if you let it! & Get excited about doing it! You are TRULY CHANGING someone else’s life…& we can all stand to give up something on occasion or, on a regular basis- whatever we can afford…
I’ve gone through really difficult times (including financial due to severe health issues-) & praise God again that he is slowly helping my body heal & us get on our feet again. But, I truly believe that this sponsorship experience changed me in a way…way back when….that impacted me & strengthened my faith- gave me hope & helped us better, “weather the storm” the past few years through all of our struggles & my treatments & ups & downs & hopes & failures…ALL of it! I can actually see that now & your post on this brought it ALL flooding back to me as if it was just yesterday & flooded me w/so much emotion & so much gratitude that God led my mom to find Compassion International when she did & for the beautiful life lessons that found their way to me & my life through it.
I think that maybe myself & my family were the most blessed & the biggest recipients throughout the entire experience rather than the other way around, I really do.
Sponsoring a child is the FIRST THING that I am going to do AS SOON AS I AM ABLE to – & I know that as long as I keep leaning on God, that WILL be very soon. Thank you SO SO SO MUCH for this post~ It probably sounds so silly to you, but it was EXACTLY what I needed to read & be reminded of in so many ways! & I mean, exactly!
I have read your blog, & found incredible encouragement, peace, solace, happiness when I was struggling to see any at all to be honest, beautiful creativity that fueled my soul so many times when I, myself haven’t physically been able to actually do any of the things along those lines that had ways been escape…my “Happy Place” really… I could go on & on really, b/c I feel like you are such a kindred spirit even though we’ve never met & your blog has done so much for my life~ there just aren’t enough words to describe how & to thank you enough Meg! Keep up the FABULOUS work that you do & sharing what’s on your heart, b/c I think we all just love you straight up, for being YOU! 😉
“Rainbows & Sunshine”…That’s what you are…& WHO doesn’t love & need that in their lives!?! I mean- come on! 😃
God Bless you & your family & thank you again for be such a gift in my life when I needed it the most!
💛💙💜💚❤️ (I just HAD to throw in some color & a little nod to your live of emojis while I was already taking over for a minute!) 😍

Sarah Lahrman - My husband and I sponsor a child through Compassion as well. It is such a great feeling to know how much you can impact the lives of these children at such a small price. The letters you get just melt your heart. to. pieces. Congrats 🙂

Jenn - What wonderful news! Congratulations!