helping the stranded
After Nelson Mandela’s death at the end of 2013, many stories surfaced of his genuine concern for others. In 1950s Apartheid South Africa, Mandela once saw a white woman standing beside her broken car in Johannesburg. Approaching her, he offered help and was able to fix the car.
In a Tough Place
God doesn’t reject or ignore us when we’re in a tough place. In Isaiah, we read these words: “I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them” (Isaiah 41:17). The Lord is present—listening to our prayers, feeling what we feel, and loving us when no one else seems to care.
the touch of love
A hug is a powerful thing. Picture a sobbing mother and father clutching each other as they stagger in grief. A third person walks up, a pastor or close friend, and throws his arms around both of them. Their sorrow is too much for words, but his touch says enough and all that should be said.
leave room for God
A TV commercial begins with a boy sitting in a play tree house, taunting a grandma and a baby because he has the family’s bag of Doritos chips, and they don’t. The grandma and the baby conspire to get their share. Cooperating with one another, the grandma slingshots the baby to grab the Doritos. It’s a funny illustration of what’s inside all of our hearts—the desire for justice. Unfortunately, our desire for justice is often illegitimate and mixed with revenge, anger, pride, and very little room for God to work.
these are our children
Today, as we were being briefed about all the work Compassion is doing in Kenya and other parts of the world, I realized for the first time that I was part of something much bigger than I had anticipated. God is using Compassion International in some incredible ways to change the spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental trajectory of children around…
rejoicing in thorns
Amy McDonaugh, a 34-year-old mother of three who is completely blind in her right eye and has severely impaired vision in her left eye, fought off 1,775 competitors to win the Flying Pig Marathon—a popular and enjoyable race. Participating in only her fourth contest, McDonaugh not only beat her fellow runners, but she also showed that her physical challenge would…
absorbing the fall
Shirley Dygert wanted to celebrate her 54th birthday with flair. So she signed up to skydive from nearly 21⁄2 miles above the terra firma. In tandem with Dave Hartsock, her instructor, they leaped from the plane. They pulled the ripcord, but the parachute became tangled and only partially opened. Hartsock tried opening the reserve parachute, but it too was tangled. As…
bold, faithful friends
Jesus had returned to His base in Capernaum after a preaching trip. When the locals heard that He was back, they ran to where He was staying (probably Peter’s house) and swarmed around it. So many people crowded into the house that there was no way a paralyzed man, brought to the door by his concerned friends, could get in.…
what i need
Diane was devastated. Despite her husband’s absence for nearly half their 8-year marriage, she had faithfully supported him in his military career. Then, abruptly, he announced that he was leaving her and their children for another woman. Now she sat in a clinic awaiting test results that would let her know if he had left her with any “parting gifts”—STDs.…
