Hope Deferred

Mail from Uganda

Today I received my first letter from the Compassion child I sponsored last month.  Someone had to write for little 4-year-old Andrew Okwaja, but this letter still melted my heart.  I learned about his family, his favorite color, that if he could visit anywhere he would go to his grandmother's, and that he wants me to pray for him to go to school.  He said he wants to be a teacher when he grows up.  His parents are just 23 and 20...kids themselves.  Pictured are my 2 favorite parts of the letter.  First, a section called "My Drawings" where Andrew drew some things for me with colored pencils.  I can make out a truck but other than that there are just blobs and splashes of color...but a masterpiece nonetheless.  The other is on the bottom of the page next to where he will sign when he is older.  It is a stamp of his fingerprint.  Somehow that smudge of ink makes me feel close to him.  It makes me realize how incredible it is that in today's day and age I can have this link to a 4-year-old on the other side of the world.

    I'm going to love sponsoring Andrew in the years to come.  If you want to build your own relationship with a child in Africa, consider signing up for Compassion today.

Hope

"Whatever is at the center of something has a lot to do with its quality, whether it is fruit, golf balls, or leadership.  I think the core of leadership is hope.  Leadership is the hope that we can change the things that need to be changed and create what we cannot now imagine.  Hope gives us the courage to move forward, the power to forgive, and the grace to keep the promises we have made.  Hope dispels fears.  Hope readies us for round two.  Hope holds our heads above water and gives us permission to regroup when we are tired.  Hope redeems mistakes and prompts the optimism and resilience of a leader.  To lead well, we must possess the strong belief that our best days are ahead of us.  Hope and leadership are inexorably linked."  --Nancy Ortberg, Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership

What are you hoping for?

One More Year!

I have a coat that I've been wearing for over 6 years now.  It's my "too cold for a spring jacket but not cold enough for my parka" coat.  I really loved it when I bought it.  It's that faux material that looks like suede yet is washable.  A neutral color, of course.

This morning when I got it out of the closet and put it on I thought to myself, "I have got to buy a new coat.  I've certainly had this one long enough."  I looked at the sleeves which are starting to get those little lint balls that form when something is well worn.  Mentally I began thinking about what sort of new coat I would buy.

An hour later I walk into work and one of my co-workers exclaims, "I love your coat!"  "Really?" I asked.  I explained how it was old, how I'd worn it for years.  I even pointed out the lint balls and mentioned I was thinking about getting rid of it.  "Let me know if you are going to get rid of it," she said.  (Side note...for those of you who wonder which co-worker I'm referring to, here's a hint...her admiration for my coat only deepened when she learned I'd had it for 6 years). 

A couple hours later I walked into Panera and the two women behind the counter said in unison, "I love your coat!"  Seriously?  What is going on?

I contemplated the idea that there was some sort of conspiracy to mess with my head (after all, I have had stalking threats from one of my facebook friends), but dismissing those thoughts I decided to learn 2 things...

1.  I don't need a new coat.  I can live with lint balls.  I don't need to spend the money.  I shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking I need something new and better.

2.  If you hold onto something for 6 years, it must eventually come back in style.

So let's hear it for one more year of the faux suede coat!!!

'Tis Almost the Season...

Caller ID

What name do you most like to see on your Caller ID?  I was thinking about this today as I was rushing into a store and heard my cell phone ring.  As I dug it out of my purse and read the name a smile instantly appeared on my face.  Every time that name appears on my caller ID I know there will be one of 2 voices on the other end.  And I am pretty sure I know what they will be asking.

Me:  "Hello?"

Joe:  "Are you home Aunt Tammy?"

Me:  "Hi Joe...Not right now but I can be within an hour."

Joe:  "OK, because I want to play Mario Kart with you."

Cancel all plans.  Get home as soon as possible.  And turn on the Wii. 

Tonight I'm thinking about my nephews and how much I love their interruptions in my life.  Just seeing their name on my caller ID makes me happy.  I am eager to engage with them.

I've been thinking about loving people a lot lately...mostly about how often I fail to do it well.  This morning I read Mark 12 and these familiar words of Jesus:

"The most important commandment is this...love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.  The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself."

I get tripped up on that second one all the time.

I think the essence of spiritual maturing is about growing in love for God and love for people.  I am desperately praying for God to grow my heart of love.  I would love for a smile to be my first response no matter what name shows up on Caller ID.

Things I Don't Understand #284

Could someone explain to me why if our banking and finance industry is in such desperate shape there still seems to be a new bank branch under construction on every corner in Chicagoland?

Compassion International

I'm getting a little hooked on Compassion.  I've heard about this organization for years and have admired the work they do in changing kids' lives in developing countries.  But a couple weeks ago something stirred within me when I was at the Catalyst Conference and they had a former Compassion child share her story.  She's now a student at Moody and through tears talked about the difference her sponsor made in her life...literally saving her life and giving her a future.  Even as a college student, she decided to cut down from the 20-meal-a-week plan her scholarship provided to a 10-meal-a-week plan so she could use the leftover money to sponsor 2 Compassion children.  How could you not be moved by that?  I knew I had to do more.

I've sponsored a boy named John Woodley Sifralien through Sonlight Ministries in Haiti for about 10 or 11 years.  I've seen him go from a shy 1st grader to a grown-up looking junior in high school.  What's been cool about sponsoring John Woodley is that for the first 5 years I actually got to visit him when I'd take groups of college students on mission trips to Haiti.  My best memory is sitting in his small home (hut) with him and his mom as the 3 of us played the board game "Trouble."  I always liked bringing him a couple things that were out of the realm of his experience (which wasn't hard to do).  His mom didn't speak English but language wasn't needed as we pushed the plastic bubble and moved our pieces around the board.

So last week I went to Compassion's website following the nudge in my heart.  The first face I saw was little 4-year-old Andrew Okwaja from Uganda.  For those of you who know me, just the name "Andrew" has a special place in my heart.  My 13-year-old nephew (who I adore) holds that name.  I clicked on Andrew's profile and quickly discovered he loves art and drawing...another trait he shares with my nephew.  How could I not click the button to sponsor him?  I can hardly wait for my picture to come in the mail so I can see his adorable face on a daily basis.

Tonight I've been spending some time on the Compassion website and discovered a bunch of cool things.  I could send $18 so that Andrew will receive a Christmas present.  I could write him a note right there on-line that will be translated and delivered to his family.  I could give a gift to the family that the staff of the local organization will use to buy things they need like new beds, livestock, or food supplies.

If you've never sponsored a child, let me encourage you to consider it.  You can literally change a life with $32 a month.  I'd say that's worth skipping a meal or two.

Call + Response

I went to see the film "Call + Response" today in Chicago.  I heard about the documentary a couple weeks ago at the Catalyst Conference.  Musicians from a wide range of genres along with actors, politicians, journalists, and professors contributed to this piece highlighting human slavery in its various forms.  I am feeling an increasing responsibility as a Christ-follower to educate myself on justice issues and to consider how I am to respond.  Certainly the church needs to be a voice rescuing women and children from these horrors.

My favorite line in the film: "Justice is what love looks like in public."

I hesitate to write this blog because I feel so inadequate to speak to justice issues...I certainly have not done enough to "love in public."  But I wanted to post to encourage you to see the film if you have the opportunity.  It is getting limited exposure (showing through Thursday in downtown Chicago and in 17 other cities).  It's definitely worth the time.

Showing Up

I woke up feeling a little harried today.  A mound of e-mails in my inbox.  Some fear over assembling a "to do" list after a week out of town.  Some general feelings of self-doubt and discouragement about ministry dreams.  Enter Panera Bread, a chocolate chip bagel, and about 45 minutes with Mark 6 and my journal.  And Jesus shows up.

He shows up as one who didn't receive support from many who knew him well (Mark 6:1-6).  I don't know how that affected him emotionally.  He certainly wasn't a people-pleaser, but I bet he would have loved to hear more "You can do it!" from his hometown crowd.

He shows up as one with limited resources (Mark 6:30-44).  Five loaves.  Two fish.  Hard to build a movement on that budget.  Yet, the limited becomes limitless in his hands. 

He shows up as one unconcerned by the storm (Mark 6:45-56).  The sea is raging, the wind is blowing, but he calmly intends to walk to the other side.  He only stops when he realizes his disciples need to be comforted by his presence.

Today in Panera I was reminded that all I really need to do is to keep showing up.  Keep taking steps.   Because Jesus will show up too.  He always does.  And he helps us follow him forward.  Obstacles don't hold him back.  He always advances his purposes.

Although it probably helps that he doesn't have a mound of e-mails to deal with.

Mario Kart Wiiiiiiiiiiii!

Last week my nephew Andrew (13) got a Wii for his birthday.  It was his big "welcome to your teenage years" gift from my parents.  Many of you know that I bought a Wii earlier this year just to have some fun with friends (and to become a Guitar Hero).  Up until a few weeks ago I had no idea that some of the games have an option to play with friends through the internet.  I was so excited!

If you don't know, one of my biggest goals in life is to be the greatest aunt on the planet.  My nephews live in Ohio so I don't get to see them nearly enough.  But now I have a fun way to spend time with them through cyber space!  I bought Mario Kart for my nephew for his birthday.  And then I bought the game for myself.  And over the past week and a half I've been racing my nephews almost every night through Mario's Gold Mine and Coconut Mall. 

Today as I was starting my work day my cell phone rang.  On the other end was my nephew Joe (6).  "Hi Aunt Tammy.  I think we should play Mario Kart at 3:30 today."  I had to explain to this sweet boy that I actually had to work during the day.  But don't worry.  We still got a few races in tonight before his 9pm EST bedtime.