{Compassion} Lighten up, little girl.

I have no idea why I stared at my 5th birthday cake at Chuck E. Cheese with such disgust. Maybe it was because, yes, again, my name was spelled wrong. Maybe I didn't like the crowd of friends and family embarrassing me with the traditional "Happy Birthday." Either one is certainly possible. I still don't like to be the center of a "Happy Birthday" rendition!

It's taken me a long time since my 5th birthday {that would have been May 1984, folks!} to realize that life isn't perfect. People don't react like I think they will. Sometimes I say too much and other times I don't say enough. Some days are harder than I expect and others surprise me with how lovely they are.

Health and financial woes creep into lives. Disagreements arise, sometimes forcing hard decisions. Each family is different. Motherhood doesn't come with a manual. And marriage is hard work that has proven worth it, even just 11 years in.

Life isn't perfect. But it doesn't need to be. In perfection, we wouldn't need each other. In trying to figure out, we make friends and have revelations. We're spurred on toward the next moment that will change our hearts and create our legacy.

We're blessed in imperfection and are given more opportunities than we ever can notice to be a blessing.

September is Compassion International's Blog Month, which aims to find sponsors for 3,160 children whose lives are far from perfect. Better than any birthday party, just $38 a month can change their lives and take away some of their burdens.

These children may have frowns because their lives are harder than I can ever imagine. But I've seen pictures of smiles. There is hope there, friends. There where frowns seem to be expected, smiles are possible. In Guatemala and Uganda. In Peru and Ecuador. Across the globe. And in our futures right here. It all makes a cake with a misspelled name and a fictional mouse not seem so bad.

And here I am, 29 years later, left wanting to scream back to my 5-year-old self: Lighten up, little girl. There is a big world beyond you. Most people mean well, even some days are hard. Not everything will always be right, but there is joy here in this moment, even if you are required to wear a silly hat. Just ask God to show you. And be sure to help a friend along the way.
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I believe in Compassion International. Our family sponsors two children and serves as a correspondence sponsor to a third. If you're looking for a way to make a lasting difference, Compassion International is one way. 

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