Opening Your Heart

Before I went to Romania the first time I asked my doctor if I needed to be immunized against any disease. After going there I have realized I was infected by something no shot can prevent. When you go somewhere where children are without the care of their parents your view of the world changes. Perhaps more accurately your view of your place in the world changes. I have many times heard that life is meant to be enjoyed. This summarizes how you might view the world before you visit the orphans. After your visit you realize life was meant to be shared. What you feel when you are visiting the poor means very little in the long run. What matters is what you do when you get home. Your actions will tell you if your heart was changed for life or merely touched for a moment.

God’s perfect plan for the changed heart that is “all in” for the care of the helpless is a cycle which goes something like this: Love for others makes us content with what we have and discontent with what we have done for others. When we then invest in the welfare of others we find that we love them all more. Again love for others makes us content with our physical things but insatiable in good works. Paul urged the Corinthians “Open wide your hearts!” [2 Cor 6:13]. When we open wide our hearts to the needy God pours a stream of blessings through us, much more than we thought we

could do. Those who need a meal, who need to hear and see the gospel are like a field of opportunity in our work for Christ. Jesus was consumed with zeal for God’s harvest work when he showed us how God views the role we each play : “ My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ” [ John 4:34-37]

Thank you for your interest in Bread of Life Ministries. We have been able to accomplish a lot with the help of our supporters around the world. There is still more for us to do. Please prayerfully consider how you might help support Bread of Life as we provide support to children and families in need.

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