giving | Grandma's Ramblings
Halloween decorations are off the shelf – and even before we celebrate Thanksgiving, the stores are filled with Christmas decorations and music. Many of my friends tell me they are busy with their Christmas shopping list.
It is amazing to me how much money we spend at Christmas. According to the National Retail Federation, American spent 929.5 billion on Christmas in 2022, 955.6 billion in 2023 and it is estimated to grow 2.5% to 3.5%, to a new record of between $979.5 billion and $989 billion this year.
While Halloween spending is much less, it still is amazing what we spend. Americans spent $12.2 billion on Halloween in 2023 and $10.6 billion on Halloween in 2022.
Now – I am not trying to be Scrooge. Christmas is a great holiday – and absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying all the parties, gift exchanges and family gatherings.
BUT….as you begin shopping for family and friends, may I suggest you add something to that shopping list. Find an organization that helps the homeless, those who have lost their homes in natural disasters and the many in refugee camps around the world. The list goes on and on. Check out this website to find what needs there are – both in the USA and around the world.
https://www.charitynavigator.org/discover-charities/where-to-give/
There are many local organizations that could use some help. Local food pantries, Toys for Tots, check with your local school board for church for a family that could use help.
Check out my post on Mercy Ships.
https://wordpress.com/post/barblaneblog.com/7833
Let the joy of Christmas shopping extend beyond your immediate circle.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Do you have your Christmas shopping done? In years past I always tried to do my shopping early before the crowds got so large. Today, with so many opportunities to shop on-line, I can avoid the stores completely.
As you make your list of who is naughty and who has been nice, may I make some suggestions on who you should include in your list.
2.3 billion people lack basic hand washing facilities with water and soap. One out of four people lack clean drinking water. In Sierra Leone, this is a typical water access point for over 50% of the rural population. Every single day, men, women, children, grandmas, and grandpas, eat, drink, and bathe with water from sources like this. Sanitation is even worse.
Mariatu’s Hope works with the government to bring clean water to communities. They also provide breast milk for babies whose mothers have died, teen pregnancy education, provide needed nutrition to families with small babies and share the story of Jesus.
We take having clean water with just a turn of the faucet for granted. Not so in so many other countries. Look at these happy faces as they get clean water right in their own community.
As Mariatu’s Hope continues to expand new waterpoint program areas, drilling formations have become more difficult. For 2024, Mariatu’s Hope will celebrate their 10-year anniversary and as part of their celebration they are seeking fund to purchase a new LS400 rotary drill rig. This will increase their capacity and capability when drilling in harder formations.
You can learn more about this great organization and give support by checking out their Facebook page at Mariatu’s Hope.
This Christmas, let your Christmas list go beyond your own circle of family and friends. Remember Jesus said:
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink….I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!“
Give a real gift to Jesus for His birthday!!
These thoughts are not my own – I am sharing the message my pastor gave us this week.
She told us that if we make $37,000 a year we are in the ranks of the rich when compared to the rest of the world’s population.
Then she listed the “rich” people problems we face all the time. Things that we complain about – and do not really stop to think how many in the rest of the world would be grateful for those problems.
- Our cell phone service is bad.
- Our air line flight has been delayed.
- Amazon is out of the size we needed.
- Amazon promised shipment in three days and we now have to wait a week.
- We have to get new tires for our car.
- Our laptop stopped working and we have to buy a new one.
- The lines at McDonald’s are too long.
And we could go on and go about the “problems” we complain about every day without realizing these are “rich” people problems.
We take so much for granted in the USA.
Yet, at the same time we know there are many in our country who are struggling financially right now.
According to Feeding America, 1 in 9 Americans struggled with hunger. In 2019, 35,207,000 people were food insecure. Food insecurity exists in every county in America. Millions of people are still struggling to get by because of underemployment, stagnant wages and the rising cost of living. To these Americans, food has become an unaffordable luxury.
In 2019 more than 5.3 million children live in households struggling with hunger. Approximately 25% of children in households at risk of hunger may be forced to rely exclusively on hunger relief organizations to make ends meet.
According to the USDA, in 2020, 35.3 percent of households with incomes below the Federal poverty line were food insecure. Food-insecure households include those with low food security and very low food security. Rates of food insecurity were substantially higher than the national average for single-parent households, and for Black and Hispanic households. Food insecurity was more common in both large cities and rural areas than in suburban areas.
As I look at these statistics I realize how blessed I am. My husband and I have a freezer full of food and a pantry with shelves fully stocked. Yet, my studies have shown me that many elderly have to decide between buying food or purchasing needed medicine.
So what do I do? Just feel bad and move on with my life? Or, try to help in some way.
If you fall in that category of having plenty of food, I challenge you to reach out and help
- Find a food pantry in your area and contribute food and/or money. Money is probably better than food because most food pantries can purchase food in bulk at much cheaper prices than an individual can. If you give food, think dried and canned goods. And please, check for expiration dates and do not give something you would not eat.
- Many schools have food programs – check with your local school.
- Do a volunteer food drive.
- Volunteer with your local food pantry or with the Meals on Wheels program.
I am grateful that my church works with Compassion in Action, a local group that helps with school children who are food insecure, and with a local food bank to distribute food to those in need every month.
My pastor shared the story of the farmer in the Bible who had a huge harvest. His response to that was to build more barns and then sit and enjoy his success. While Jesus was clearly not condemning being successful or even rich (many of godly men in the Bible were wealthy) or being a good steward of what you have, He clearly tells us we are not to trust in our own riches. Our trust is to be in God.
Also, we are not to grasp on tightly to what we have, but be willing to let go and share with others.
Finally, when we talk about riches we usually think of money or possessions. But I am rich in so many other important ways – ways that money cannot buy. Family, health, peace with God.
I think of a song my mother used to sing when I was a child.
If you are one of those who are food insecure, do not be afraid to ask for help. Check with your local church, your local school. There is help out there – and you should not feel bad about receiving.
If you are one who is truly “rich,” be grateful but also reach out and share with others.
As my husband often said when he preached about giving generously to others, “I never saw an U-Haul truck following a funeral car to the grave.”
In the words of Jesus:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I first posted this 6 years ago. This Christmas as we face gatherings that may be smaller than usual, family and friends we will miss seeing as Covid has restricted travel, it could be easy to get depressed or start complaining. I just want to encourage everyone to remember while our table may not be as loaded with food as usual, we are still much better off than many. Reach out and help someone this year. I saw a quote on FB that says it so well. “This may not be the year to get everything we want, but the year to appreciate what we have.”
What a great feast we had at Thanksgiving! Turkey, dressing, scalloped potatoes, corn, sugared carrots, salad, homemade bread, and of course, pumpkin pie.
After our Thanksgiving meal we had so much turkey left over, we cut it up and made soup with noodles and chicken broth. It was delicious and we used up our left over homemade bread with lots of butter!
Now it’s time to shop for the Christmas meal.
So many choices.
Shall we do turkey again or ham? Maybe some Cornish hens? Scalloped potatoes or mashed? Maybe some sweet potatoes? Same salad or a different one? Homemade bread again or shall we do dinner rolls? And dessert? Pecan pie, apple pie, banana pudding, peach cobbler?
So many choices.
That’s the story for most of us in the USA this year. However, in many homes across the USA – and certainly in the rest…
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As my husband and I age, we find we are no longer able to be as active as we once were. For years my husband was a pastor and I worked alongside him teaching Bible classes, playing for worship and all the many tasks that come with serving a community of Christians.
This year I celebrated 72 years of life and my husband celebrated 80. While most people that meet us do not think we are as old as that and we do remain alert and active, we find our bodies do not always want to keep up with our thoughts and desires to be productive. Many days the afternoon hours call for us to take a nap.
Still, because we have both experienced true miracles in times of serious medical problems, we desire to still give and help others. (I share these stories in these posts)
I’m Back With a Miracle Man!
Cancer Survivor
Since my husband loves to paint he recently painted a beautiful rainbow scene he called “Hope in the Storm.”
The rainbow to Christians is a reminder of God’s promise to Noah after the flood. To us when we see the rainbow after a storm, we are reminded of the hope we have that God is faithful.
After receiving several compliments on the painting and its message my husband decided to paint smaller versions of this rainbow and send to those we know who are battling a health issue. He has send ones to young people fighting leukemia, to a young woman fighting a heart disease and to several others with different ailments. It has been a joy to hear from them that the painting and the message it gives of “hope in the storm” is an encouragement to them.
It blesses me to see the joy my husband has received as many have told him how much his painting has meant to them.
It is so true that when you give to others, it comes back to you.
Can I say I’m proud of my husband that at 80 he still is thinking of ways to bless others?
If you would like to see more of his paintings, check it out at PWL Art Gallery.
https://www.facebook.com/PaulWLaneArtGallery/
When Jesus was on earth He seemed to assume that as His followers there were things we would naturally do. Not to try to earn a place in heaven. Not to rack up points on the “goodness” scale. Not to “prove” we were His followers.
No. Things we would do because as a committed follower of Jesus it would be as natural as breathing in and out. We don’t stop and consciously think “I need to breath now.” When we walk we do not think “I need to lift my right foot up, move it forward and put it down.” These are just natural reactions to being alive.
So Jesus states that there are actions we will take – perhaps not even consciously but just as a natural response to His love and forgiveness to us.
Sadly we often seem to think the things He mentioned are suggestions, not actual outcomes of following Him.
Jesus told us:
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
That last one is a bit hard, isn’t it? But if we are to be like Jesus, we need to rejoice when we are put down for our beliefs. Rejoice, not complain. Not get mad. Rejoice.
As our culture seems to be going further and further from Christian principles, we need to remember that one.
But even with society becoming more hostile to Christian standards, we in the USA know nothing about real persecution.
The following is a list taken from the 2019 World Watch List by Open Doors. This is a mission organization that supports persecuted believers in more than 60 countries.
North Korea – Afghanistan – Somalia – Libya – Pakistan – Sudan – Eritrea Yemen – Iran – India – Syria – Nigeria – Iraq – Maldives – Saudi Arabia Egypt – Uzbekistan – Myanmar – Laos – Vietnam – Central African Republic Algeria – Turkmenistan – Mali – Mauritania – Turkey – China – Ethiopia Tajikistan – Indonesia – Jordan – Nepal – Bhutan – Kazakhstan – Morocco Brunei – Tunisia – Qatar – Mexico – Kenya – Russian Federation – Malaysia Kuwait – Oman – United Arab Emirates – Sri Lanka – Colombia – Bangladesh
Palestinian Territories – Azerbaijan
For more detailed information on these countries and suggestions on how to pray for each particular nation, check out this website.
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus pointed out to His disciples a widow woman who placed two little coins in the offering box in the Temple. Compared to the much larger amounts they had seen others give earlier, her offering seemed like nothing. Yet Jesus pointed out that they had given of their abundance while her offering consisted of all she had – a much greater sacrifice and gift.
Jesus explained that the rich people had given “what they can easily afford” while she had given “her whole living.”
This has me thinking – do I only give what I can afford or do I give my all?
When we talk about giving in relationship to God, we usually think of money and in this instance it was money that was being discussed. And certainly I have to admit when it comes to financial giving, I certainly use a lot of my income on myself. As I look at my checkbook, I have to ask myself if I am only giving what I can easily afford to the work of God.
Giving financially to God is more than just giving to my local church, although it does include that. But there are so many other areas where I need to share my abundance with others:
- helping teachers and schools with supplies
- buying shoes for children from families who are struggling financially
- buying a meal for a homeless person
- taking food to the local food pantry
- many non-profit organizations like American Cancer Society, St Jude’s Hospital for Children, Wycliffe Bible Translators and the list goes on and on
My first thought is I do not have an abundance financially. But I have to ask myself if I am only giving what I can easily afford. Am I really making any personal sacrifices giving up things I don’t really need, only want, to help others whose finances are much less than mine.
But giving to God is much more than just giving of my finances. There is my time and my talent.
How much of my time do I spend doing things I want to do, things which will help me or my family? How much of my time do I spend reaching out to others.
This was really brought home to me this past month. We just moved to a new state. Just a couple of days after moving in with boxes still everywhere our doorbell rang. It was a neighbor coming over to say welcome. My first thought was “how nice!” I invited her in and we began getting acquainted. After 30 minutes had passed and she showed no sign of leaving, I must confess I so wanted her to leave. After all, I had boxes to unpack and a long, long list of things that must be taken care of when you move from one state to another: new car title and license, new driver’s license, new car insurance, and my list went on and on.
Finally she left and I told my husband I was worried that she would be a nuisance. She was elderly and clearly lonely. She also repeated herself several times. I dreaded the time she might take up coming over to visit.
Then, I remembered what Jesus said and I felt the Spirit’s conviction as I realized I have an abundance of time. My husband and I are both retired, we only have one daughter and her family living close by. We have lots of time to enjoy.
So – will I be willing to give up some of my time – my abundance of time – to spend time with this neighbor – listening to the same story and showing interest as if it was the first time I had heard it? Do I really need to spend all my time just doing what I like to do, just enjoying myself or do I need to give my all as Jesus would have me do?
So I have determined to visit this woman every week, to take an hour or two to sit and listen to her stories, to make her feel important to me. To give out of my abundance.