Save a Life, Love like Christ

I love Christmas. I love that our God gave us the real meaning of it – the birth of our Savior. A baby boy.  My Savior.

When I try to imagine “how wide, how long, how deep his love is,” as it is said in Ephesians 3:18 that God’s people should understand, I just can’t. I think, and furrow my brows. My eyes dart as I try to picture it. I take a breath and sigh, because the idea that God Himself would come to this Earth, humbly, and live out life as a human. That's too much. And then He chose to die, for me.

I can conjure up an image of Mary giving birth in a cave stable, where the birth of Jesus is believed to happen. I can see Him working hard as a carpenter.  I think I can see Him laying hands and healing. But His love for me, when I really try to understand it, I don’t understand. Yet I know it’s true, faithful. And I am so grateful.

His love, I cannot grasp, even though it holds me together.

When I rest in prayer and ponder it, I love it.

So, shouldn’t I do something to spread that love? Weren’t we given the Great Commission. But how?

Here’s one way. Use the connections the ministry Compassion International offers. Yes, Compassion, the global child sponsorship organization.

As we skate toward Dec. 25, wrapping paper scraps littering carpets, and Christmas music playing around us, I would like to offer you an idea.

Before you decide on your gift for that person who is blessed to have so-called everything, would you also please buy a gift for someone who has almost nothing?

Compassion International offers a gift catalog. Shopping online is easy and convenient. Yes, we can shop online even for someone who lives 7,000 miles away on a continent and in a country where you cannot even picture the lifestyle or culture.

http://gifts.compassion.com/?utm_source=blogger-network&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=blogger-network_giftCat

In a country plagued with malaria mosquito nets save lives.

Maybe you want to give money for a cow that could be used for milk to sustain a family, and generate income.

Want to help with beauty, mechanic, or bakery career training?

A soccer ball?

Other choices?

Here’s the link again:

http://gifts.compassion.com/?utm_source=blogger-network&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=blogger-network_giftCat

It brings tears to my eyes that I long for a home with more space, while Compassion lists toilet stalls, water and water filters – as Christmas gifts. But oh, how Christ-like to give something like that. I pray blessings on those who do. How kind. What a good way to let that indescribable love help with critical needs.

Consider what moves your heart. Here’s what I chose and why: With each of our children, I’ve watched as doctors or medics tended to them in truly life-threatening situations.

I want to protect a child. Actually, God’s way better at that than I am. And I want God to use me to shelter a mother from at least one thing she has to fear. I am blessed to be a blessing. So, I chose to pay for a vaccine.

What will you choose? Please, please help today. And thanks! Way to love!



©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Gratitude, Please and Thank You

This blog entry kicks-off a four-part series about gratitude.

When it comes to gratitude, I want to be like a horn of plenty with thankfulness spilling out of me. Hmmm. That’s not seasonally appropriate for an August blog entry.

When it comes to gratitude, I want to be like a rainbow, showing multi-colored gratefulness for the varied blessings in my life. Well, that’s corny.

OK. When it comes to gratitude, I want to wear a thankful attitude like my favorite, comfy pair of blue jeans, albeit holey, and patched up with heart appliqués. That’s a little more me.

I want the gratitude I have for all my blessings to be genuine, and natural. I want it to fit me well.

During a college class, the Ph.D. teaching asked a room full of budding young journalists a question that would prompt us to look at ourselves in a new way. He asked whether or not we realized that we were among the richest in the world because we were sitting where we were, in a university classroom.

He pointed out that worldwide, education, especially college, was for the elite, and we were it. Oh, sure, bring out the global peer measuring stick, why don’t you, prof?

I can’t remember how the topic was germane to our class, but the conversation has remained with me through the years. The instructor was, and is, absolutely right about the privilege of education.

That’s just one example of how God has brought good fortune my way.

I’m not neglected or forgotten. God blesses me every day, through my family, my friends, His Word, the sights and sounds of nature, my health and so much more.

However, I struggle with wanting something different, something newer, prettier, bigger, in some cases something more practical, sometimes something more sparkly or just more of something.

On the intangible side, many days bring me longing for more fulfillment, more excitement, a better or different kind of relationship with so-and-so, more talent, or more brains. Why this struggle, when I know I’m blessed?

It’s not because I don’t enjoy my life, and appreciate it overall. It’s not like I walk around saying or believing, “Woe is me.” And it is not because I lack the peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

I could spiritualize, and suggest my feelings stem from really living as a stranger here on Earth. Sure, that factors into discontent. Or maybe it’s spiritual warfare, and Satan’s getting at my weak spot that his minions see. Sure, that can add to it.

But I must have a diva side. (I know. I’m technically too old to be a diva — and my clothes aren’t as shiny.) Essentially, I blame my own ungratefulness. Greed, materialism and selfishness come into play for me.

My own heart needs to grow in gratitude. Does yours?

To battle the side of me that forgets my blessings, I try a variety of activities. Many of these, I practice for a reason beyond the specific goal of becoming more thankful. I do them because I want to.

But here are my Gratitude Growers –

1. Praying for a grateful heart

2. Asking God to realign my priorities

3. Diving into word studies in the Bible related to thankfulness

4. Recording my blessings in a little gratitude notebook

5. Practicing the ACTS form of prayer journaling (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)

6. Replaying mentally how my life is easier or better today than it was in other timeframes

7. Participating in mission trips

8. Reading about other cultures and social injustices globally

9. Sponsoring a child through Compassion International

10. Avoiding idleness (not to be confused with avoiding rest)

I know there’s no special formula to heart change. I can’t flip a switch and change in my own power. Still, coupled with my own heart’s willingness and genuine effort, the Holy Spirit works the transformation. It’s a journey.

And on this journey I will continue to do (my best at) what this verse shows:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

His love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

In her book, Radical Gratitude, Ellen Vaughn covers the topic of thankfulness thoroughly, and convincingly. In my next blog post, I will spotlight that book, and share how some of her points touched my heart. In the third post, I will touch on gratitude, hope and character. In the fourth and final post, I will share a personal gratitude list, with a mix of the serious and the light-hearted.

©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Photo at top is in the public domain.