Spiritual Seeds Sprouting

In November 2012 I shared our adoption story during Orphan Sunday at my parent’s church in Texas. We had a Compassion International table set up with approximately 20 children who needed sponsors. I remember praying over each child before the event, asking God to provide a sponsor for them.

Only two children were sponsored that day. I left church feeling defeated and was on the verge of tears. I felt like I had failed God and those children.

John reminded me that I had made a big difference in the lives of the two children who had been sponsored and had brought awareness of the orphan crisis to a small-town Texas church.

December rolled around and my mom called.

“Jennifer, I want Christmas to be different this year,” she said. “I think we should sponsor one of those kiddos.”

I fought back the tears until I hung up the phone. Then I bawled and thanked God for showing me that Orphan Sunday had made an impact on someone. The fact that that someone was my mom made the answered prayer even sweeter.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into my parent’s church a few weeks ago and was greeted by the faces of children from all over the world in need of sponsors.

There was a Compassion International table set up for Compassion Sunday.  I watched my mom encourage people to sponsor children as she shared about the little boy she sponsors in India. The lady who organized the event told me, “I’m just watering the seed you planted.”

Before I left church that day, eight children had already been sponsored. I choke up a little bit just typing that sentence.

Isn’t it amazing how God works? He will use the moments you consider a failure for His glory.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1st Corinthians 3:6-9)

That morning at my parent’s church, I chose a new child for our family to sponsor. We recently learned that the little girl we had sponsored in Ethiopia for several years was now thriving and no longer needed our help. I chose a little boy around Jackson’s age who lives in Africa.

A few mornings later, I wrote our first letter to Gadafi. Jackson got out the markers and colored him a picture. We prayed for him and his family and my heart swelled with joy.

I can’t wait to see what this sponsorship does – for the little boy oceans away, for Jackson, and for myself.

Spiritual seeds are sprouting all around.

****Interested in sponsoring a child through Compassion International? It’s simple. Just click here to get started! ****

This post was written as a response to Holley Gerth’s Coffee for your Heart link up prompt: For more encouragement click here! I am also linking up for Three Word Wednesday. You can join the fun here.