"Look for ways to be a cheerful giver and make a difference in the lives you encounter every day. Do not miss out on the adventure of seeing God use your sacrificial giving to demonstrate love and kindness to the world."
It was a Friday night in 2018 when I saw the beauty and power of giving at work. Laying on my couch, I called up my best friend and asked if he would like to go on an adventure with me. Jess agreed and we eagerly headed toward downtown Columbus.
Jess and I became best friends during our college years and had a built a solid friendship. On a weekly basis, we participated in a homeless ministry that was connected to our church where we saw lives changed and hearts transformed. During that spring night, our goal was to be an extension of that same love to the homeless in the city where we lived. We scrounged together all that we had and created backpacks filled with food, gift cards, Bibles, and encouraging notes. Little did we know, our lives would be impacted in a way that we were not expecting.
We arrived with excitement and nervousness praying for God to work in us and through us. Less than five minutes passed, and we were chatting with a homeless man on a nearby street corner. Jess and I began to hear this man’s story and see his heart. We handed him one of our backpacks and prayed for him. He responded with gratefulness but wondered if we had more food than the snacks in the bag. Unfortunately, we did not. He had not eaten all day.
With one more backpack to give, we approached another man on a street corner. Like our last interaction, we talked and then prayed. But, this time, we saw God provide in a unique way. The homeless man had just been given hot donuts. He offered up his remaining donuts to us to share with others in need. Jess and I, amazed at what was happening, took those donuts to the first man we spoke to. We explained where the donuts came from, and a smile lit up his face and gave us a hug. We never expected the highlight of our night to be the gift from one homeless man to another.
There is tremendous beauty and power behind giving. It not only transforms lives but also saves lives. This is one of the greatest joys we can experience in this life because it is the heart of the Gospel. God gave up His only Son to us, so that we may find life in Him. There is one verse that can be used to describe our night - Hebrews 13:16, “do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”. The man could have saved those extra donuts, but instead, he gave them away to someone in need. If God has abundantly blessed you with money and resources, compassionately and wisely share them with others. Look for ways to be a cheerful giver and make a difference in the lives you encounter every day. Do not miss out on the adventure of seeing God use your sacrificial giving to demonstrate love and kindness to the world.
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