Giving Back

Lately I have felt very passionate about trying to work on an area of my life that needs some dedication. I need to do more things that are R.A.O.K. These things are random acts of kindness. The kinds of acts I am talking about is when you do something for someone and you don't sign your name or claim your act. These things show the fruits of the spirit so much and yet your reward is entirely from God and your own heart. This is an exercise I have been trying to do for the month of December and I had some things to share with you about what I have learned through the experience so far.

I won't tell you what acts I have already done or for whom because that would totally defeat the purpose but I thought I would share with you what God has been speaking to my heart through this experience. Here are some learning experiences that have been popping up:

Learning #1: People need random acts of kindness:

This world is harsh. Just when you get your feet underneath you sometimes, the carpet is pulled out from under you. People die on holidays...children get born with illnesses and leave Earth far too soon, jobs are outsourced and you seem to run through savings in minutes, unemployment is at a high, cars break at the worst possible times, husbands leave wives and wives leave husbands for no other reason but pure selfishness! Because we live in a fallen world, horrible things happen. People take their own lives and leave behind shattered hearts, people abuse drugs and hurt their family members, women carry babies inside them for 9 months and they are born dead. These are reasons to put your hand out to those around you and give! You have no idea what the person behind you in Starbucks has gone through, so pay for their drink and maybe give them hope in life again.

Learning #2: Sometimes it is hard to even come up with dental floss

There are times in our financial lives when the chips fall all at once. There are those times when you go into the bathroom and realize that you are out of floss and start to cry because buying dental floss sounds like an expensive item. Sometimes just being able to put your hand out and give someone a basket of household products that you have extra of is such a blessing to them that it helps them get through the month.

Learning #3: There is always someone worse off than you

I know that with the last couple of years of bad things in the economy and job market, it is has been hard to think outside of your own problems. Anthony lost his job in Feb. of 2010 and was unemployed for a full 9 months which felt like 9 years. He frantically searched for a job the same amount of time each day that he would be working at a job and yet NOTHING. I remember that, and in those times,...it felt like helping someone else would be a joke but I remember us helping a person out in a situation that was almost scary to us to do and over and in abundance God took care of us. Within one week of that event, Anthony was hired at Starbucks. I really don't believe that it was a coincidence. Sometimes looking outside of yourself helps you find solutions and more importantly perspective when it is most needed.

So far, this is what has been coming to me as I step out and try to find ways to give to those around me. I pray that each of you going through something hard will have someone reach out and that in turn, you might reach out too!

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