I'm behind...on what seems like everything these days, but specifically on blogging. So I'm starting today by posting my follow up for the 30 Day Giving Challenge.
I didn't even consider taking on daily posts about my challenge this year. I knew that there was no way on God's green Earth that I could keep up with that, so here we are, with a generic follow-up. But, hey, at least I can say I know my limits better than I did a couple of years ago, right?!
This year's challenge was exactly that...challenging. I tried to think of new ways to give and wanted them, for the most part at least, to not cost any money. I wanted to focus on opening my heart by giving my time and efforts more than opening my wallet. I won't bore you with details about every day, especially since I'd like to keep some things anonymous. But I will say that, because it was more challenging this year, my heart was that much fuller at the end of November!
My favorite part of the month was what I dedicated to do every day. I sent a text or email or made a call to a different person every day. I chatted and asked how their day or week was going, gave them some extra time that I don't always seem to make, and invested those moments to find new ways to pray for them and encourage them. By far a worthwhile investment, as I now have 30 new prayer cards in my stash and know my dear friends' needs and can support them in prayer much better. I am determined to make time for those sweet conversations more often.
Some of my favorite giving opportunities from the month:
* Baking goodies for some neighbors and friends (always fun).
* I found a few new places to donate some items that I know will be appreciated.
* I tried to leave change in the pop machine at work one day, then the extremely honest person that went in there next sent out an email trying to figure out who to deliver the lost 55 cents to!
*Going out of my way one day to give compliments to several moms that I encountered throughout the day on how they kept their cool with their fussy kids and taught them valuable lessons. You should have seen their faces ;)
My favorite moment of the month was one day towards the end of the month when I was running out of new ideas of how to give. I was standing in line at Chipotle getting something to eat for lunch after running my errands and was racking my brain, trying to figure out what I was going to be able to fit in that day...it was one of those insane days, you know the kind!
While I was caught up in my own thought process and working my way down the line towards the register, the woman paying in front of me started to seem frantic. She was digging through her purse and couldn't find her wallet. Finally, she realized she left it in the car. She asked the woman at the register if she could just leave her food there and run to her car to get her wallet.
She was obviously on her lunch break and a mom (you could tell from the things she was pulling out of her purse). She seemed just as hurried as I felt and was obviously frustrated with the wallet situation. I knew God was presenting me with an opportunity to bless this woman, so I stepped closer and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll get it, you just take your food and have a good afternoon."
The woman and the girl running the cash register looked at me like I had lost my mind. She finally agreed to let me pay and thanked me as she grabbed her bag and headed out. The girl at the register was just confused - I had to explain several times that I was paying for both meals - ha! I had never paid for someone in a line like that before. I've always just done the drive-thru thing and I like that they don't know until I'm already gone, but this was kind of fun - seeing the expression on the woman's face when she realized what was happening!
I went about my business and left thanking God for presenting such an obvious opportunity right in the middle of my own stress. As I walked up to my car, the woman got out of hers (ironically parked right next to mine) with a tear-streaked face. She told me how stressful her week had been, that she was at her wit's end and feeling pulled in a million directions. She told me that she had prayed that morning that God would refresh her and give her the encouragement that she needed to make it through the day. She thanked me for being obedient to His prompting that day to serve others and be a blessing. She told me she was determined to pay it forward and was already trying to think of ways to bless others that afternoon in the midst of her craziness. Little did she know that I'm in one of those seasons myself where I feel run down, stressed, burdened, and searching for answers from God and that hearing how encouraged she was gave me the boost I needed to get through the day with a smile on my face. What an awesome moment!
I am always blown away by how people are affected by small acts of kindness and am so thankful that God can use us in such seemingly insignificant ways to affect so many people!
We're carrying this giving challenge through the year with our Acts of Kindness, and Madison and I will both be completing ours on our upcoming birthdays, so stay tuned for lots more fun encounters that I'll be reporting!
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