Take Time to Listen

I have been researching a lot about how to make a difference locally and how to be effective. So straight away you think about giving money, or spreading the word about a cause, or setting up a fundraising campaign, but often, we are not so quick to give our time. I was reading this post by Joyce Meyer today and was really challenged by it. She demonstrate how, often, people are grateful for financial and practical help, but often, the thing they crave the most is your time and attention: feeling valued.

Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear…slow to speak… —James 1:19

A friend of mine lives in a large city where homelessness is a huge problem. One winter night she was coming home from work and walked by a man asking for money. It was cold and dark, and she was anxious to get home.  Not wanting to pull out her wallet in a less than safe situation, she reached deep into her purse fishing for change.  As her fingers searched in vain, the man started telling her that his coat had been stolen in the homeless shelter where he’d stayed the night before. Still trying to come up with a couple of quarters, she nodded and said, “That’s too bad”.  When she finally found the money, she dropped it into the man’s cup.  He smiled and said, “Thank you for talking with me.”  My friend realized what meant the most to that man was the fact that someone had heard him and responded.

We have a team of people from our ministry who try to help people living in the tunnels under the downtown bridge.  They have found that each of these people has a story.  Something tragic happened to them that resulted in their present circumstance.  They appreciate the sandwiches and clean clothes, but mostly they appreciate someone caring enough to actually talk with them long enough to learn about them. 

Let me encourage you to take time to listen.

Love Others Today: Do you know someone who simply needs a person to talk to? Be the one who will listen.

{From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.}

Blessings!

Ronell x

Compassionart: Joining the dots between art and poverty

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, I just firstly want to apologise. I completely forgot to post yesterday, as I was completely caught up with packing! I am moving tomorrow on very short notice, so things are a bit hectic my end!

Today’s post is about Compassionart, a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.

This is how Compassionart’s describes its beginnings:

It all started with a sense that music really ought to be able to sit well with justice. Yet in a world of album sales and royalty cheques, it can be hard to see how the two link up. So, a plan evolved; create a little music (and eventually, quite a bit more) and use all of the proceeds from album sales and royalty cheques to support those working among the world's poorest communities.

These thoughts came first to the heads and hearts of Martin and Anna Smith. Martin's years at the front of the stage with Delirious have given him a unique perspective; across every continent he has seen at first hand the potential that music has to connect. And he has seen poverty – the crushing sort, the type that chokes hope and suffocates life. And he has seen remarkable people doing remarkable things to break poverty's hold.

In January 2008 – after more than a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna were joined by 11 other songwriters from the world of Christian music for a week of writing. Out of it came 22 songs, but something much more; a sense that there might be something in this – that compassion and art might just be a relationship worth investing in.

You can support Compassionart by shopping online or donating. Or why not take a leag from their book and create music, or any other kind of art, that supports and promotes a cause that you are passionate about! The four main causes supported by Compassionart are:

·      Joyce Meyer’s Hand of Hope

·      Ray of Hope

·      Watoto

·      Stop the Traffik

Please support this cause, or take inspiration on how to support another!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands.” {Psalm 100v1}