Deep Breathing for the Soul

It’s 2 degrees here, with howling winds that drive the windchill well below zero.

I am inconvenienced by such weather–car doors freeze shut, roads are a bit slick. But I slept in a warm bed. I had hot tea and breakfast this morning. I can shower with hot water in my own home, or at the health club after my workout. I can look out at the snow and see its beauty from a warm chair by the window.

I am deeply aware this winter, however, of the plight of those for whom this weather is much more than an inconvenience. But what can I do? How can I help the homeless, or kids who are living in poor neighborhoods within a few minutes drive of my house? I’m not trying to make anyone feel guilty–including myself! I just am wondering.

The truth is, you can’t solve all the world’s problems. But you can change the world for one person. And because every person matters to God, that’s a worthwhile goal. And when you reach out in compassion, you grow spiritually. God becomes more real and more present in your life when you align yourself with his purposes.

If you are wondering how to do that, or at least begin to think about that, I’d like to invite you to a seminar for women that I will lead next month, in cooperation with Breakthrough Urban Ministries. The seminar will be held at Breakthrough’s Ministry Center in Chicago on Saturday Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’re wondering what you can do to help those less fortunate than yourself, this is a very practical first step.

I’ve been a donor and volunteer with Breakthrough for several years. This ministry, which serves the homeless and the community of East Garfield Park in Chicago, really wants to help people like me to grow in compassion.

Do you feel God stirring in your soul, asking you to start really connecting your faith with your action? Do you wonder how your life can reflect God’s heart of justice and mercy, his concern for the poor?

This one-day seminar will jump start your justice journey. We will look very practically at how we can become women who make a difference: women who act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. It will provide a safe, guilt-free environment for discussing, asking questions, reflecting and strategizing.

I’ll do four teaching sessions based on my newest book, Simple Compassion. But even better, you’ll have some time to process and pray. We’ll also have group discussion, individual reflection time, and plenty of practical, hands-on learning. Every registrant will receive a free copy of the book for further study.

The four main sessions are:

1.       Compassion Begins with You. every woman matters to God, whether she’s in Sierra Leone or San Diego, in a slum or a suburb. We’ll look at some biblical women who stepped up to be difference makers, and how we can follow their lead. God has a unique calling for each of us—how do we discern that? It starts by letting go of our “little old me” syndrome and believing that God actually is calling us to be his hands and feet in the world. Even small acts of justice and compassion matter, because even if you only help one person, that person matters!

2.       Compassion Grows in Community. The Christian life was never meant to be lived on our own. We were made for community—and sometimes, the people in our closest circles are the ones who are challenging to love.  How can we extend compassion to the people closest to us—whether they are family, church members or next-door neighbors? This session focuses on making a difference right where you are, and why you need others to come on the journey with you.

3.       Compassion Extends Beyond Our Comfort Zones.  Although we can make a difference no matter where we are, God calls us to truly see injustice around us, and not insulate ourselves from it. There are people who need God’s love and tangible help—things like food, clothing and shelter—within an hour of your door. This session will look at women who are making a difference in the Chicago area, and offer some next steps for getting involved with ministries here in the area.

4.       Compassion Offers God’s Love to the World. It is impossible to talk about God’s heart for the poor without looking at the situation in the developing world. We will look at some big issues like human trafficking, poverty, lack of clean water and others. The goal is to see these issues and see how we can take very small steps to make a difference by both what we do, and what we decide to stop doing. We’ll look at some women who have focused their energy on one global issue and are making a difference in that area.

Most of us love to shop, especially when we find unique or unusual items. But sometimes, purusing the clearance rack at Target, I have to wonder–who made these pants? Did this t-shirt come from a sweat shop? Am I living justly when I shop?

The holidays are coming–the fall displays in stores will soon give way to Christmas decor, and it’s not even Halloween yet. And with those seasonal displays come a pressure to buy. But we can make choices about what we buy. We can choose what some people call “sanctified shopping” by purchasing Fair Trade certified items.

What is Fair Trade? Fair Trade items are those that are produced by workers who are paid a fair wage. Items can’t be certified as “fair trade” if they are made by child labor or slaves (and unfortunately, that happens with more items than we would believe).

Why not feel great about shopping, knowing you’re getting cool stuff and helping someone on the other side of the planet?  Click here to watch a great and encouraging video about Trade As One, an excellent organization that helps lift people out of poverty.

This year, my goal is to buy Fair Trade items for everyone on my list. That does NOT mean they will be getting cheezy presents–I’m talking really cool stuff.  Jewelry, chocolate, coffee, clothes, bags, purses. (You can find some great stuff, including the items pictured below, at Bead for Life’s website.

What if you could change the world by shopping? If we all buy just one Fair Trade item this year, we can help families all across the globe to lift themselves out of poverty. What a great way to have a compassionate Christmas.

My daughter and I were trolling the aisles of our favorite discount store today, on a mission to find a gift for my darling husband, who turns 45 today. He’s not easy to shop for!

                As we walked past the cardboard bins of school supplies, I asked if she needed any. She said we had so many leftovers from years past that she had everything she needed. I’m sure once school starts and the stuff’s not on sale anymore, she will suddenly realize what she needs.

                It’s true—open any drawer in my house and you’ll find pens, pencils, glue sticks, markers, rulers. My office closet has folders, notebooks, paper.  And what we don’t have, we can afford to buy. Especially when they have these crazy great sales this time of year.

                But for many families, getting a backpack full of supplies puts a crimp in an already tight budget.  So I think it’s especially cool that the folks at Moody Radio (where I’ve frequently been a guest) are helping Orphan Outreach with its annual “Mission Backpack” school supply and backpack drive right now. You can learn more by clicking here.

                Moody Radio (90.1 FM in Chicago) is teaming up with several inner city ministries in Chicago, including Breakthrough Urban Ministries, a great ministry to kids and adults on Chicago’s west side which I support and also volunteer at. Breakthrough’s in a tough neighborhood where drugs and gangs are prevalent. Kids living in poverty have a hard enough time doing well in school—they may go to school hungry, or have few role models to show them that it’s cool to stay in school. But Breakthrough offers after-school sports, tutoring, and more, hoping to guide them toward success.

                Mission Backpack makes it easy—you can either go and buy supplies and backpacks, and drop them off at several different locations, or you can just donate on-line. If you like to shop, here’s a link to the supply list.

Mission Backpack’s goal is to get 5000 backpacks by August 14. It would be so cool if everyone who reads this blog forwarded the link to this post, and we helped Moody Radio meet their goal.

                Check your house, junk drawer, home office closet—you probably don’t need to buy all new supplies for your kids this year. We’re going to try to cut our back-to-school budget by using what we already have. I’m going to donate the money we save (plus a little extra) to Mission Backpack so they can provide backpacks and supplies for needy kids in Chicago. If you’re not in the Chicago area, you can still donate. Or perhaps you’ll want to start your own backpack drive.

                In this economy, lots of families are struggling. Here’s a simple way to show compassion—find a way to help some under-resourced kids start the school year right.