Jim Killon knows firsthand—sometimes the difference between hope and opportunity or continued destitution and despair can be a simple shift in humanity.
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As any firefighter will tell you, there is a significant advantage given when battling a blaze and suddenly, there is a shift in the wind. The difference between extinguishing a fire that is ravishing a forest or a home and watching it all become a total loss, regardless of your best efforts, can come down to a simple shift in the wind. Our excitement when we receive an email asking “How can I help?” is more than a tally mark on an accounting sheet. It represents to us a shift in the wind, so to speak. It represents to us that someone has a move in consciousness and their mentality has shifted from “Hooray for ME!” to “What can I do to touch the less fortunate in this world?”
Ironically, it is not a dramatic change, but a small shift in the wind, an awareness, a small awakening that makes all the difference. The light goes on above your head and a long sigh saying, “Ooooh!” becomes your new reality. It is those small shifts in the wind, throughout the world among a small number of dedicated supporters and sponsors that has saved the lives and built the futures of thousands of our children that were living in destitution and despair here in Peru’s harsh Andean mountains. These kids have been lifted out of destitution to realize a better life is available and reachable. Sure, they still live in adobe houses and drink boiled water before it is safe, but a shift in the wind, within them, assures them that a better life is now here. Whether it is a small contribution, a package of warm socks and some school supplies, or a card with a message of hope and encouragement, your shift in the wind has made, and everyday, makes a difference between hope and opportunity or continued destitution and despair. I am grateful for your love and compassion in action.
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Photo courtesy of author. Visit changesfornewhope.org to see compassion in action.