Shaun Groves
My wife Becky is the warmest accountant you’ll ever meet. But she’s still an accountant, which, according to her, means she’s not as emotional as us artsy types – which is yet another reason I was glad she came along with us to India. It would be nice, I thought, to get a more level headed perspective on all this.
One of the criticisms I’ve heard multiple times about these blogging trips is that the bloggers write too emotionally. There aren’t enough facts and details and statistics for the accountants reading along out there. I always explain to these critics that there’s no effort to make the experience or posts emotional. I give the bloggers lots of facts and details and statistics but they’re human and human beings who hang out with kids living in extreme poverty are going to get a little emotional no matter how hard they try not to.
Which brings me back to Becky. She tried not to.
A few days into our trip we visited a slum in Kolkata.
We saw the smallest “homes” I’ve ever seen.
We sat with the children from those homes at their Compassion project while the older kids sang and danced for us. When their program was over the project director handed small gift bags out to all of the bloggers as a thank you for paying his kids a visit.
A little girl sitting next to Becky wanted to say thank you too. But what did she have to give?
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ball of tissue. She unwrapped it to proudly reveal one coin and a small cracked clay cross.
She slipped the cross from the tissue and pressed it into Becky’s hand. Then she touched her finger to the crack with a look of embarrassment on her face. “Sorry,” she said.
Just then the kids were dismissed to their classes and Becky, with her eyes welling up with tears, told me about the little girl’s generosity. ”How come people who have so little are more giving than people who have so much?”
Is there a statistic that better expresses that moment than a tear? Alan Greenspan couldn’t get through it without a hanky. It’s impossible.
By the way, do you have something to give?
misty says:
Wow…isn’t it true though. I know she will always treasure that little cross. Those who have so little are the biggest givers. Too whom much is given, much is required. How often do we Christians actually believe this or live like this is what God has required of us??
Sean says:
Thanks Shaun, had to get one more, ‘Let’s make Sean tear up while sitting at his desk at work’ moment! Thank you, to you and all the others that I was following last week. I am already sponsoring one child and I am working on sponsoring another. Bless all that you guys do in Compassion!
Amy says:
Great post Shaun, thanks.
I sent small gifts to both my Compassion boys today!
Carl Thomas says:
Not to get too deep here but this is a common reaction from people who have not experienced the love of God. They do not understand the connection between faith and emotion. This is the main way people try to discredit the Charismatic movement.
But if you have experienced the love of God you cannot help but be moved by those who are “the least of these.”
Time and again Jesus was moved with compassion and healed. So if we are motivated or even overwhelmed with compassion I can only see that as a good thing.
Shaun Groves says:
We all experience life (all of it) differently, Carl. And we respond to it differently too. My only point is that even folks who aren’t considered artsy and emotional have a hard time not being moved by the generosity of a child who has nothing but gives anyway.
Carl Thomas says:
Amen. Just like we are all moved when we come into an understanding of what God has done for us through the sending of His Son.
Thanks for your blog. I sponsored Genesis last year after I found your blog and was moved by how you were affected on your first Compassion trip.
God used your emotional response to cause an emotional response in me. That emotion was compassion and it caused me to sponsor a cute little girl right between my son’s and daughter’s age. I am not an artsy guy at all. But Jesus has caused my heart to be tender toward those He is tender toward.
Keep up the fight.
Beth Waldeck says:
We received a letter from one of our sponsored children this week. He wanted me to assure him that my family was healthy and had what we needed! I have no doubt about his understanding of sacrificial giving and the definition of compassion.
Christin Boyce says:
Even Jesus wept. Need I say more?