O is for Opportunity

Today I am thankful for the opportunity I had to go to church and hear about the Baptist Children's Home ministries. My sister, Leah, went with the youth group on a missions trip this summer to visit one of the BCH houses, and it changed her life.  This ministry is what made her decide to go to college with the goal of getting her degree in social work. I was so looking forward to hearing the presentation today, but when I got sick earlier this week, I just wasn't sure that was going to happen.

I'm so thankful that it did!  I was so blessed by the couple who came to share the ministry with us, who by the way was the BCH President and his wife. This ministry is helping kids in need of a safe home and loving family all over the world! His challenge to us from the Word was about seeing children as Christ saw them: people with needs just like me. I loved that! Children in our society are so often overlooked or treated as a nuisance, but Christ saw them as souls. What a challenge for those of us who work or have worked in children's ministries of all sorts to be reminded that our work DOES make a difference... that working with children is a great service to God and a huge opportunity for outreach!

I'm also thankful for the opportunity to support this ministry. One of my goals in 2016 is to support at least two missionaries (or organizations such as BCH) on a personal financial level. This is something I'd never done until I began supporting my sister in Peru in May. God has really been laying a burden on my heart to continue this personal support for missions, as personal investment produces a greater desire to be involved in the lives of those particular missionaries- you tend to care a little more when you're sending money.  I chose my first missions couple about a month ago, and I think maybe BCH will be my second choice.  Who knows, maybe God will bless me and burden me to be able to add a third!

But for today, I'm just thankful for the opportunities God gives us to be involved in missions because nothing is more important than sharing the Love of God with the world!