Christmas is almost upon us, which means you’re probably wrapping your presents and doing some last-minute shopping. Now, take a breath. Stop for just a moment and think if there are any people around you who are in need. No matter where you live, you probably drove past at least one homeless person today, and there must be dozens of charities in your area that could use a donation or a helping hand.
If you’ve already blessed your own community and want to make a difference across the world, check out two of my favorite charities that help children in need:
Compassion International
Compassion has many programs to ensure children in need have nutritious food, education, healthcare, job preparation courses, and more. They also share the Gospel with these kids, giving them a real hope for their future.
Robby and I have two sponsor kids through Compassion, a little boy in the Philippines and a girl in Africa. We love to read their letters and to hear how our monthly donations are used. This is a great way to bless children in need throughout the year.
This month, you can also shop Compassion’s Gift Catalog, where you can select an item to give to a family in need—items like Bibles, chickens, goats, pigs, garden seeds, textbooks, bicycles, and more. If you’d like, you can make the one-time donation in honor of a loved one and a card will be sent to them explaining what you donated in their honor. This is a perfect way to honor a loved one and bless a family in need.
Sweet Sleep
Most people are aware that children in poverty need food, shelter, education, and healthcare. What most of us don’t think of is beds. Many children in poverty sleep on bare floors where they’re susceptible to parasites and bacteria. Others are without mosquito nets, leaving them prone to malaria.
Sweet Sleep works with communities throughout the world to provide beds, sheets, and mosquito nets to children in need. This not only gives them comfort, it gives them an opportunity for a future. Sweet Sleep also provides each child with a Bible in their own language, supplying them with faith and a new hope for the future.
This Christmas, pray that the Lord will give you guidance on how to bless those in need, whether they’re in your city or a world away. And may God bless you and your family this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ (See Matthew 25:40 NAS.)
