Do you remember the words and kind acts that encouraged you when you were young? Who was the adult that spoke into your life? Hopefully, they spoke words of love and acceptance that encouraged you to explore an interest or talent that is uniquely yours.

A life can be launched with as little as a single phrase, an uplifting word or an act of kindness. Think of the impact we could make if we were to become more intentional about encouraging the children around us!

The words of adults quickly take root in the fertile soil of a child’s spirit, for good and for bad. Sadly, some of us have been profoundly impacted by harsh words, neglect and even abuse. But even out of those tragic circumstances our heavenly Father can redeem our past.

Perhaps you know my story of childhood abuse in a West Africa boarding school. Mine is a story that Satan intended for evil but that God redeemed for good. My story is what has fueled my passion against injustice, my crusade against abuse, my fight against poverty.

It is what drove me to Compassion, where I now have the great privilege of speaking up for the little ones who have no voice and no choice.

Will you join our campaign to motivate adults to deliberately bless the children in their lives? We’re gathering stories from across the world to powerfully demonstrate that children are indelibly shaped by the words and actions of adults.

By simply sharing our true life stories through various media channels, I believe we will challenge and inspire others to actively invest in the lives of children!

Who believed in you before you believed in yourself?

Who told you that you were smart and then that encouragement planted a seed of confidence in your life?

Who said, “You have a beautiful voice; I loved your song,” and now you sing for a living or get great joy from singing for others?

Who told you they appreciated your creativity and their comment gave you a sense of self-assurance that is still with you today?

Who said, “My, what a lovely picture you drew,” and now you make your living as an artist?

Please share your unique story with us! Or, share someone else’s story: that of a friend, family member, historical figure or Bible character.

In addition to posting your story as a comment on this blog, it may eventually be printed in a book or perhaps in Compassion Magazine or featured on my daily radio program, Speak Up With Compassion. Let’s share our stories with one another and become very intentional about blessing the children God brings into our lives!

Please post your short story (300 – 400 words) below, send us a private e-mail via the “Contact Us” button at the top of this page, or leave us a voice message at (888) 503-4589, if you prefer to share your story by phone.

Written stories may also be mailed to:

Compassion International
Tell Us Your Story
Colorado Springs, CO 80997

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Compassion UK first posed the question in Twitter.

Grab the last letter you received from your sponsored child and share the closing sentence with us.

We liked the question so we asked our Twitter followers and Facebook friends to participate. Here’s a sample of what they shared.
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“I pray that we may live with God up to the end and may God protect us.”

“I say goodbye with many hugs — so long.”

“Please pray that my father will stop drinking liquor.”

“I want to tell you that I already can pray. I keep you in my heart with so much love.”

“Thank you very much for your sponsorship. Do you have happiness? Wish you have happiness.”

“When I grow up I want to be a doctor so I can help all of the kids because I really like the things that the doctor from the center does for us. Goodbye with love and affection.”

“Does the earthquake always happen to your country? Me, I do not know if it will happen, only God knows. Keep on helping me pray for the two months of vacation that I will have. I will pray for you. I love you.”

“With the $25 I bought cookies, candles, milk and Kellog’s, thank you for everything with love.”

‎”Do you have a swimming pool in your house?”

‎”I hope to read you soon. For the time, I kiss you. See you soon.”

‎”One day we will never separate and we will be in our homes, in the place God prepared for us.”

‎”I dismiss with strong hugs and lots of love.”

How did your sponsored child close his or her last letter to you?

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How much of your prayer life, your conversations with God, is about you? You talking. What you want or need. What you think should happen.

When you’re listening, are you interested in what’s on God’s mind? Or are you really just listening for God to talk about the subjects you choose?

I mostly talk at God. That’s a 99-percent most. God usually can’t get a word in edgewise in “our” conversations. I’m talking. And I’m talking about what I need and what I want, as if they are somehow different, and as if I know better than God what I need.

“Hey God. I’m not interested in that subject. Why do you keep bringing it up?”

But once a year, at the beginning of December, I make an extra effort to get over myself. I ask God, “What do you have planned for us next year?”

It’s like asking your father, “Hey, Dad! What are we going to do this weekend?”

2010 in One Word

So, even though I’m not your father, you should do this:

Ask the Holy Spirit what He has in store for you in 2010. Ask Him to give you a one-word theme for the upcoming year. Not a phrase, not a statement, just a single word.

That last sentence is more for you than for the Holy Spirit. He knows what’s going on.

But this is for you – One Word. It’s a document for you to download, written by Dan Britton, Senior Vice President of Ministry Programs for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

One Word contains suggestions to help you make this “one word” thing a spiritual discipline rather than some nifty hoot of an idea that will quickly fade away like a worn out New Year’s resolution.

This practice of asking God for His yearly theme in my life gives me strength in the tough times. It renews my spirit, giving me a sense of purpose when I feel hopeless, annoyed, angry, afraid … anything but in control and confident.

It helps me stay connected with Christ and His plans for me throughout the year. Not perfectly, but definitely in times I probably would not.

Every year, with a little prayer time, I have found God eager to tell me what He has in store for me in the following year.

Remember this, and I can’t emphasize it enough, you’re not choosing a word. The Holy Spirit is giving it to you.

In 2009, the Holy Spirit laid the growth card on me. And when I told you about it last December, I said it sounded painful.

Well, 2009 wasn’t really painful. But it wasn’t easy either. I got to grow through a lot of old habits and immaturity.

And even though 2009 is almost over, the growth isn’t. The words the Holy Spirit shares with us each year establish the foundation for the words we get in the future, which means I’m going to be growing the rest of my life. Duh!

For me, 2009 was a year to begin getting beyond my “only child” behavior, which tells people the world revolves around me and they should wise up, stop resisting and get with the program.

It seems I’ve made a little progress, because for next year God’s word to me is:

SHINE

It sounds promising.

In case you’re curious, before I was promoted to lessons on growth, the Holy Spirit gave me lessons on obedience (2006), relationships (2007) and reconciliation (2008).

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For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

And called it his best work.

In the spirit of Hemingway’s brevity, and maybe with little help from the Holy Spirit, can you sum up your sponsorship experience in six words?

Here’s what we came up with.

Thought I gave. But I received. – Tim Glenn

Now poverty isn’t just a word. – Becky Tshamler

Random pick doesn’t seem random anymore. – Chris Giovagnoni

Black smiling eyes. World beyond myself. – Amber Van Schooneveld

They focus up. I’m distracted down. – Meredith Dunn

My child shows me Him. – Brianne Mullins

Abundant life for kids in poverty. – David Dahlin

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A copy of the 2009 Compassion calendar is being sent to:

• Daryl G. Short, whose word for 2009 is innocence.
• Jolanda, whose word is action.
• Holly Spiotti, who received the word Emmanuel.
• Evelyn, who had on her heart the word nurture.
• Gin, who chose dedication.

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“Seven years ago, I started the simple discipline of picking a one-word theme for the upcoming year. That is right — one word. Not a phrase, not a statement, just a single word. And to this point, it has been nothing short of life-changing.”

That’s a quote from Dan Britton, senior vice president of ministry advancement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And I can vouch for what he said.

I’ve been part of the annual one word posse for a few years, although I don’t know Dan, and have been amazed by how the Lord has used it in my life.

I surrendered my life to Christ in 2005, and the following year was all about obedience. That was my one word. Take ownership of the commitment I made. Surrender self. Be joyfully obedient and faithful to God’s will and Word. It was, and has been, positively liberating.

2006 was the year I met my birth father and his family — my family — for the first time. So, naturally, 2007 was about relationships. Not just with my birth father, but with Jesus as well — an ever-deepening relationship.

And relationships don’t occur in a vacuum, so as those relationships developed all my other relationships, at all levels, were changed. They are still being affected.

Picking a word for 2008 wasn’t a slam dunk like previous years. Lots of words came to mind, but they all seemed wrong. I prayed for a month and never felt like God helped me out. I felt like I just “picked” a word, instead of just “knowing” my word — just knowing the “rightness” of it.

Ultimately, I chose reconciliation because it speaks of harmony, compatibility, restoration, agreement and consistency — all things that are necessary in successful relationships. And, I have been uh-MAZED at how this word has affected me this year.

It turns out that according to Strengthsfinder 2.0 (a really cool book I highly recommend), my number one strength is . . . harmony.

What’s significant about this is that I wrote the phrase “it speaks of harmony, compatibility, restoration, agreement and consistency” — with the words in that order— last December. I took the Strengthsfinder 2.0 test in June.

In hindsight, I could add another word to that list: balance. As in balancing, or reconciling, the competing demands inherent throughout life and in love.

Another blessing of this practice is that these words build upon one another, allowing me to better see, feel and experience Jesus in my life well beyond the year the one word “applies” to.

For example, 2007 was about relationships. It was the year I started working at Compassion. I left my previous company after working there for 10 years — changing a relationship — and began working here. Now I’m in a position where I’m responsible for helping you feel more connected with your sponsored child, with our ministry and with each other. More relationships.

Picking one word is about picking one thing to focus on during the upcoming year. It’s not a New Year’s resolution. It’s a challenge to surrender control of our goals and ourselves and let the Lord lead.

If you get a chance, read all of Dan’s document. But don’t read it when you’re in a hurry. Read it when you have time to digest it. Then come back here and let me know what word God put on your heart for 2009.

On January 9, I’ll randomly pick five people to receive a free copy of Compassion’s 2009 calendar.

P.S. If you don’t randomly “win” a calendar, you could always consider Compassion’s photo calendar.

Oh yeah! My one word for 2009 is growth. Ugh! It sounds painful.

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Ok, I am not sure why I am tearing up as I write that sentence, but I am. It’s just me, I’m emotional.

I heard that phrase from my mom for over 23 years. I heard it on my first day of school, my first presentation, my first test, mission trip, job, my first “what am I doing with my life” crisis . . . anytime anything robbed my hope and joy my parents were there with that phrase.

So now I am a bit older (but just a bit) and I have these little phrases I repeat over and over in my head. They help me through my job, they remind me of my worth, they remind me of His love.

Words can transcend time and history. They can resound within our heart for years. That’s what words do: they impact a person . . . a child.

So in celebration of words, and the message given to us in the Word, below are two famous quotes.

I want to know what resonates with you. Which one inspires you most and why?

Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

Princess Diana, Princess of Wales
“You can’t comfort the afflicted without afflicting the comfortable.”

Which one makes you want to become a mover and a shaker?

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