This year’s Fabric of Hope gala was incredible! It was wonderful to spend an evening surrounded by approximately 600 people who are passionate about making investments that really count—ultimate investments! Many of us have had the experience of investing in things that flop. It is never a good feeling to know that an item you purchased, an experience you pursued or a partnership you devoted yourself to wasn’t all that you expected it to be.
Any investment on earth is a risky one, at some level! People disappoint us, products break down and experiences fail to satisfy. Thankfully, many of us are investing in things that will matter for eternity. Jesus made it clear: Only He can ultimately satisfy our deepest longings and the safest investments are spiritual ones!
Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
All that we have, and all that we are, is for God. Do not store up treasures for yourself on earth. Jesus taught this principle and He also modeled it perfectly: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Jesus was rich—richer than we could ever imagine—but for our sake he became poor so that we could become rich! We are rich in spiritual blessings, joint heirs with Christ, family members of God—through faith alone. As Pastor Lance Gentry said in a recent sermon, “The Gospel causes us to lose our grip on money. You can’t love God and money. Our hearts don’t have the capacity—where your treasure is, your heart is also.”
At this year’s Fabric of Hope, we were reminded again how fulfilling and meaningful it is to invest in just one other person. In her remarkable children’s book, The Marvelous Mud House, author April Graney tells the story of her family being transformed by a visit to East Africa, and how they in turn transformed others.
Then, in one of the coolest moments of the evening for me personally, I finally got to meet an “angel.” Let me explain: During Priscillah Kembabazi’s speech, and several times while in Rwanda with Priscillah, I have heard her talk about a dear woman who became an “angel” for Priscillah. This American woman invested in Priscillah years ago. What a tremendous joy it must have been for this “angel” to sit in the audience, surrounded by hundreds of applauding attendees, who were deeply inspired by this remarkable woman of faith—Priscillah—and to know that she played a major role in helping Priscillah become the world-changing woman of God she is today!
This story is a foretaste of what Hope Haven Rwanda’s Founder, Susan Hollern, our entire staff team and so many of you will experience one day in Heaven. What a glorious day it will be! Let’s commit together to making ultimate investments every time we have the opportunity!
You can be a “Hope Angel” too! Check out our new Kugaba Initiative at HopeHavenRwanda.org/Kugaba