"Street kid sabbatical"
I have a soft spot for Uganda's street kids and have tried to help many of them enter church-based programs that provide food, housing, school fees, and quality mentors. Often, such efforts are rewarding. Occasionally, however, the outcomes are deeply disappointing, particularly when the children I've loved and invested in end up stealing from me and returning to the streets.
Last month, after two convincing young storytellers conned me out of several hundred dollars (a story for later), I concluded I'd had enough. I thumbed a text message to the culprits' mentor that said, "Your boys have pushed me to the limit. So until further notice, I'm taking a sabbatical from helping street kids."
Minutes after I'd expressed my resolve, a New Testament passage pervaded my thoughts: "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up" (Galatians 6:9).
I tried to distance my situation from the exhortation, but couldn't. So, I dug further into God's Word to uncover how I might avoid tiring of "doing what is good" in the future and gain needed discernment in the process. Here's a sampling of what I learned:
• Recognize that God wants us to give wisely. "You must decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure" (2 Corinthians 9:7). • Keep in mind that "whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to those in the family of faith" (Galatians 6:10). • Remember that God has created you and me "anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10).
Today, thank God for allowing you to join in His work, and keep doing what is good. , Roxanne Robbins, OurDailyJourney
CLICK HERE to visit OurDailyJourney.org
I have a soft spot for Uganda's street kids and have tried to help many of them enter church-based programs that provide food, housing, school fees, and quality mentors. Often, such efforts are rewarding. Occasionally, however, the outcomes are deeply disappointing, particularly when the children I've loved and invested in end up stealing from me and returning to the streets.
Last month, after two convincing young storytellers conned me out of several hundred dollars (a story for later), I concluded I'd had enough. I thumbed a text message to the culprits' mentor that said, "Your boys have pushed me to the limit. So until further notice, I'm taking a sabbatical from helping street kids."
Minutes after I'd expressed my resolve, a New Testament passage pervaded my thoughts: "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up" (Galatians 6:9).
I tried to distance my situation from the exhortation, but couldn't. So, I dug further into God's Word to uncover how I might avoid tiring of "doing what is good" in the future and gain needed discernment in the process. Here's a sampling of what I learned:
• Recognize that God wants us to give wisely. "You must decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure" (2 Corinthians 9:7). • Keep in mind that "whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to those in the family of faith" (Galatians 6:10). • Remember that God has created you and me "anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10).
Today, thank God for allowing you to join in His work, and keep doing what is good. , Roxanne Robbins, OurDailyJourney
CLICK HERE to visit OurDailyJourney.org
