'What I Have Seen Must Bear Fruit'

The words are lacking.  I'm a numbers person - they make more sense to me than letters.  No matter how hard I try, the sentences I form feel inadequate to what I've experienced.  And more than what I've experienced, how does it change me?

I love it when I read about other people's experiences and it resonates with me.  That they are able to put some of my feelings into words that make sense.  This was the case reading the Spring edition of Compassion Today.  Lindsey Nobles wrote the article 'What I Have Seen Must Bear Fruit' and I want to share some of her thoughts:

"Still, months later [after her trip to Guatemala], I find myself having more questions than answers.  How do I fish shoes out of my overflowing closet after seeing babies walk on trash barefoot?  How do I discard leftovers after watching kids line up for whatever the Compassion centre is serving because it is a rare warm meal?  How do I return to the abundant life I left, knowing the haunting truth of poverty?  How do I continue to use the word 'need' so carelessly?  And the game-changer:  Now that I have SEEN, now that I KNOW, what am I going to DO about it?

"Because I don't want this trip to be savoured and then slowly forgotten like a 'life-changing' piece of pie.  I want this trip to be a seed planted deep within my soul that with the proper care will bloom, grow and bear beautiful fruit.  I want this trip to be a recognizable turning point in my life.  I want this trip to be a recognizable turning point in my heart.

"So I have committed to three things:
1.  I will go and see.  I will not wait another 15 years to get out on the mission field.  I will open my eyes, and my heart, to the need in my community and around the world.
2.  I will do something.  So often I lose sight of what I can do because I am so overwhelmed by all that I cannot do.  I need to remember that I can make the difference in the life of one child, one family, one community.
3.  I will say no so I can say yes.  It seems there are so many wonderful causes, so many different people in need, but I believe that we have more traction when we are focused on the causes that we are truly passionate about.  I plan on being intentional about how I spend my time and resources so that it has the most impact."