The Woman Who Is Literally a Pencil in God's Hand

She was sitting opposite me in Terminal B at Reagan International airport, reading a book. When she glanced up, I gave her a smile that was rewarded by a returned grin.

“Are you heading home or to work?” I asked.

“Home. I live in Toronto.”

“Were you in D.C. long?”

“Just for a day. I had a meeting about the charity I run.”

“That sounds interesting. What type of charity do you run?” (I was sincerely interested.)

She looked at me, with a hint of playfulness. “I run an organization that brings educational aid to a country in Africa,” she responded.

"How did you get into that?"

"It’s a long story. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

I told her that my flight was boarding in an hour. If she wanted to share, I wanted to receive.

And that’s when I heard the origin of Pencils for Kids, a Canadian charity run by volunteers.

I saw over 30 kids sharing one pencil

Robin started by sharing a conversation she had with a photo journalist who reported on a sporting event in Niger, Africa. He never expected that he would be so moved by the abject poverty of the country. The lack of  basic resources that are so common here in the U.S. deeply affected him. At one point, he shared with Robin that he saw over thirty children sharing one pencil.

The story distressed Robin. She said to her friend, “let’s stop talking about this and do something.” But what should be done? Robin wasn’t sure but she wasn’t going to rest until some action was taken.

Robin called the Canadian consulate and ask if they could help her contact someone in Niger. It took time and effort to find someone who spoke English and who could help her. With the contact made, Robin explained her deep desire to get resources to those kids sharing a pencil. The contact gave her a list of supplies.

Step One: Office Depot

List in hand, Robin went to her local Office Depot. She asked for the manager and told him the same story she told her African contact (you don’t know me (yet) and I don’t know what I am doing, but…). The manager was happy to donate supplies to the cause.

Before long, Robin had amassed the supplies she sought. Her next challenge was getting the supplies to Niger. That was accomplished by contacting the CEO of DHL (an international shipping company) and sharing her story (you don’t know me (yet) and I don’t know what I am doing, but…). DHL agreed to ship the items for free.

Robin thought that was the end of her “aid” to Niger, until the manager from Office Depot called to tell her that he had shared her story with others and that he had more items to ship. Robin contacted DHL (again) and they agreed to free shipment (again). Robin hoped her aid was complete but sensed the Spirit had other plans.

More supplies came in as the story spread. When the third shipment was sent, Robin received a call from the local officials in Niger. They were thrilled to receive the items but decided to stop distribution until Robin could fly to Niger and open the boxes. With that, Robin made plans to travel to Niger and formally found her charity.

What does this have to do with marriage ministry?

Why I am sharing this with you—a marriage minister? I want to drive home the point that God equips those he calls. This woman was definitely called by God to do something. She started a world renowned charity with nothing more than a heartfelt response to God's call. She heard a story that identified a profound need. It affected her, moved her heart and tugged her into action. She had no experience in charity work or international aid. Yet, she responded undeterred.

That is what we are to do in marriage ministry—respond. Yes, we don’t have all the answers. Yes, we are fighting an uphill battle in today’s culture. Yes, we are going to struggle and get frustrated. Yet, we are called by God to do something to help his plan for marriage thrive in the world. Will we respond?

If Robin can change the face of education in Niger, then we can change the face of marriage. Here’s what she did that is worthy of our consideration.

1. Identify the need. Engaged and married couples need more support. Just like the children in Niger, they are lacking the basic resources needed to thrive in their marital bond. The kids needed pencils. Our couples need support, accompaniment, and fellowship.

2. Be affected by the need. Pencils for Kids was launched when a story found its way into the depths of someone’s being. Do the needs of your couples affect you?  Do you let their stories pierce your being?

3. Respond undeterred. Let’s stop talking about it and do something. Pencils for Kids became a reality using small, successive steps. The founder proceeded day by day; phone call by phone call. She didn’t begin with a strategic plan or take her ideas to a committee. She let the Holy Spirit animate her. Can we respond undeterred by allowing the Spirit to lead the way?

4. Expect nothing in return. Pencils for Kids is fully staffed and run by volunteers. This leadership style mimics selfless giving and is expressed through subsidiarity and personal relationships. Can we, in our ministry, embrace a similar stance of giving?

5. Experience joy. Entering into an adventure with God can result in many emotions; the greatest of which is joy. Robin’s easy laughter and smiling eyes drew me in as soon as she began to share her remarkable story. Clearly, she has experienced frustration, rejection, sadness and a host of other emotions. But the one that is most prominent is joy. Might we also find joy by saying ‘yes’ to God the next time he calls us into an adventure?