A few weeks ago I was reading Christianity Today and came
across an article about sponsoring children in some of the poorest places in
the world. The article looked at whether sponsoring a child made a difference
or if it was just a money making scheme for the companies who arranged the
sponsorship. The article, wonderfully, found that children who are sponsored on
average achieve more than similar children who aren't sponsored.
The article explored the reasons behind this and found that
sponsored children not only achieved more than those children not fortunate to
go to school but they also achieved more than other pupils who weren't
sponsored. The article put this down to the increased feeling of Hope that the
child experienced by knowing that someone out there loves them, the child
suddenly felt like they could achieve anything, as their hope increased so did
they dreams and the belief that they could achieve these dreams and ambitions.
The feeling of hope is something that I have been feeling
myself lately. Ever since I became a Christian and accepted God as my Lord I
have felt an increased feeling of hope. Knowing that God has a plan for me has
made me feel like I can achieve anything; that the dreams and ambitions that I
had kept hidden (because I thought they were unrealistic) can now be brought
out into the light because with God’s help I can achieve anything.
“Truly I tell you, if
you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I also believe that hope can solve a lot of the problems we
have in our own communities. When I walk through the vandalised parks and past
groups of teenagers stood outside shops I have to ask myself, what hope do they
have for the future? Do they dream of being successful and do they believe that
they can achieve they dreams? More and more I am coming up with the answer, no.
If you spoke to a lot of the children hanging around street
corners and in parks and asked them what they wanted to be when they leave
school what type of answers do you think you would get?
If you asked the same question to children from better off
families, would the answers given be different?
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