I have to admit. I am dying a little on the inside…..again. Every year around the time of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA., I die a little. You see, this is THE most incredible place on the planet to me. I love golf. I love golf courses. It is like the serenity of the beach or the top of a mountain. It just puts me in the right mode. This is certainly the best course in the world and I would LOVE to be there. But, I’m not….again. Boo!
I’ve noticed that there is one side of me that is so drawn to the things of this world. I would love to eat at all the nice restaurants. I would love to have no money woes. I would love to see the world and be treated like royalty. I would love to be a member at Augusta National. I would love to ski every winter. I would love to fly to Argentina just to eat a steak. These are some of the things that often come rushing through my mind. And, it robs me of my joy.
Now, let me show you what gives me joy, purpose, and meaning.
This toilet in a Ukrainian orphanage makes me want to help the little girls that have to use it find a permanent home with a loving family.
These beautiful children have no family. I want to help them get a family.
This cute little guy needs a family too.
Same here.
Same here.
These guys are going to need someone to help them after they graduate school. Otherwise, they will be left on their own. Older kids have a harder time being adopted. I want to change that.
There are incredibly gifted and caring people who are already doing the work. What if they had real support from a local church? It would change everything. I want to help change everything.
I grapple with what I really want. I know what would be fun. I love to have fun. But, more than anything, I want to make a difference. I want to look more like my heavenly Father who is a defender of the fatherless. And, I want to store up treasures in heaven and not here on earth.
Life is a great journey and I’m enjoying it to the fullest. But, I will never be able to let go of the call on my life, as part of the church, to stand up for these precious little ones.
Steve Gillis
Founder / Exec. Director, POP
