I remember walking down the village streets in Africa and seeing children sitting in the dirt, playing with their torn and dirty dolls. When I looked into their faces, I saw some with a look of desperation in their eyes, while others had expressions of excitement and joy. Even in my hometown, I could see some children who were filled with hope while others carried a heavy weight of despair as they walked home from school in the most run-down areas of the city. Even when we watch Hollywood movies, it’s the ones that have a storyline with an underprivileged child or one that has been through a tragedy that tugs at our hearts.
Have you ever asked yourself why we notice these children? More important, I want to always ask myself, what am I willing to do about it? Am I just going to think about how sad or tragic their situation is, or am I going to determine that each child deserves to live a life full of hope and dreams no matter their circumstances?
For so many of us who live our lives as advocates and have a desire to make a difference, we have to begin by seeing each individual child as one who holds great value. We must look beyond their situations to see the huge amount of potential that each child possesses and realize that their circumstances do not define who they are or what they’re capable of accomplishing. For many, it’s their very circumstances that will lead them to achieve great dreams later in life and make a lasting impact within their own families and communities.
Today’s children are our future—they are the ones who will be leading their countries and cities . . . the ones who will be shaping the values future generations will live by. And though they may just be small children now, they still hold a great purpose.
The circumstances a child is born into—whether an impoverished country or an underprivileged family in the U.S.—should never dictate their potential or the value we place on them. Even Jesus established the significance of children in the Scriptures.
As His ministry became well-known, more and more people began coming to Him for healing and to hear the stories He told. Parents even began bringing their babies and young children just so Jesus would touch them. When His disciples began rebuking the people for bringing their children to Him, Jesus made a declaration that all children held great value. In Matthew 19:14 He declares a beautiful truth to His disciples and those following Him: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Jesus wanted everyone around Him to know that children have great purpose and value. He desired for them to come to Him just as much as the men and women who came to listen. He showed us the value He places on children and gave us an example to follow.
Sometimes it’s hard to see past the millions of orphaned and malnourished children around the world, but if we address poverty on a smaller scale, it is much more manageable. In Noel Brewer Yeatt’s book Awake, she says:
While we may not be able to combat every aspect of poverty all at once, the one child we can help has the potential to make an incredible difference. One life is still a life worth saving . . . it is still a life worth investing in. We will never know the true potential and value a child holds until we give them the opportunity to show us. We must choose to see past the devastation a child is born into and make the decision to focus on the potential each child has. Their circumstances should never dictate their worth.
At World Help, we have seen some of these very children, who were once sponsored and have grown into responsible adults, return to the communities they came from, because they have the desire to invest in other children in the same way they once received help. When you choose to sponsor a child, you may never know the full impact you’re having . . . but an undeniable difference is being made.
Every sponsorship means one more promising future . . . one more child freed from poverty . . . one more life impacted for eternity. Sponsors see the value and worth of each child—and the power they have to impact their families, communities, and world.
Will you choose to see the value and potential of one life and join us today by sponsoring a child?