It’s about 11am as I hear the noisy sputter as the mail truck chugs down our street. As I walk down the driveway I fantasize about a letter from Ed McMahon’s prize patrol, or a windfall check from a long lost relative, or (my wildest dream) a lucrative job offer from a stable company that offers health benefits.
Today is a typical Tuesday and Eugene the mailman has brought the usual mix: a phone bill, a few catalogues, an unemployment check, some pizza coupons, and several requests for charitable donations. The bill gets tossed onto the stack in the office. The catalogues are quickly recycled; I don’t even look at them anymore. The check and the coupons are a welcome sight. Our home now has a dedicated spot of honor for both of these items. They won’t sit there long.
One letter is disguised as “real mail.” It looks hand written and has a stamp instead of a postal meter mark. I open it hesitantly not recognizing the return address. Three girls my daughter’s age smile back at me from the card. Inside the note pleads, “there’s no reason they - or anyone else in our community - should go hungry... especially at Thanksgiving. Can we please count on your support once again?” It’s doubtful that I can repeat my gift from last year per their request, yet I can’t throw this one out. I set it aside for later.
I don’t have to guess what’s in the next envelope. World Vision, for all the good they do, will never be accused of subtlety. We may face hardships in our household, but they don’t compare to those of the child on the mailing. “Walk in my shoes,” the envelope demands. It’s hard to ignore their suggestion to step out of our own circumstances for a moment and consider those less fortunate. “Right now children are facing sickness, hardship, and death - and they don’t have medicine, decent clothing, or shoes to protect them.”
After reading about these children and the hardships they face, I see more clearly the blessings in my life. I can better appreciate the gifts I have been given. I realize that after six months of unemployment, we don’t have as much as we once did, yet we still have something to share.
Finances are tight for many of us. With 70% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, fears about the economy or job losses are very real. Reports in the news and the gyrations in the stock market have people nervous about their savings for college or retirement. Life is good, yet I remember more carefree times.
Did you notice the drop in fuel prices this week? When did $3.43 for a gallon of gas start to feel like a great deal? The reality is that I can reflect on a time when things were easier. Comparing prices and bargain hunting were once hobbies, not the necessities they are now.
It’s tempting to look “up” the socioeconomic ladder and feel envious of what others have. I could grumble about hard times and lament the bad hand we’ve been dealt. It would be easy to use the current financial crisis as an excuse to stop giving to those in need. I could simply toss those charitable requests and cut back on my past pledges for support.
Instead I choose to look with compassion at those less fortunate than us. We might not have much, but we still have something to give. Last year’s boots and coat can keep another child warm this winter. The books and DVDs that are gathering dust in my cabinet can be boxed up as Treats for Troops. Our church publishes a “Giving List” of the items most needed by local agencies. Pray that God will open your eyes and your hearts that you would see the opportunities to share.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Each year at Christmas our family run business would collect small gifts for children at a local orphanage. A large box would sit in our lobby, waiting to be filled with donations. As the drop off date neared, my father would grow impatient with the slow trickle of presents. Gathering two or three office employees, he would head out on a shopping expedition and fill a cart with toys and gifts and paper and bows. Our office overflowed with joy on those afternoons as we merrily wrapped presents we would never see opened. The joy returned far outweighed the cost of those small gifts.
As you go about your week, look for ways to share your time and your talents and your resources with others. Why wait until Christmas to share cards with loved ones? Do you have a neighbor who would enjoy a friendly visitor? Is there a relative who could use a helping hand with their grocery shopping? Perhaps you could hold the hand of a friend awaiting news at the doctor’s office?
Our lives and our communities grow richer as we give to and share with others.
“Trust in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.” (Psalm 37:3).
http://www.hcl.org/generosity/giving-list/the-giving-list.html
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Common Grounds - Lead with love
“You can’t lead the people, if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people.” – Cornel West, professor at Princeton University.
Leadership and service are hot topics in the world today. Teachers, coaches, bosses, church leaders and politicians impact our lives. What do you think makes a strong leader? What qualities and qualifications in a leader inspire you to follow?
Not all of us feel equipped to lead. We all know people who are fearful of stepping forward and taking on responsibility for others. Yet each of us has an opportunity - actually a responsibility - to lead others by the example of our daily life.
My daily life is not always noteworthy. As a wife and a mother I have many responsibilities. Many are mundane. There is nothing glamorous about mopping floors or washing dishes. I have bratty days when I mutter and complain, “why am I the only one who has to wash the floors?” One day in the midst of my pity party, it occurred to me, “I’m the mom.” These were jobs that I had unwittingly accepted when I became a wife and mother. It’s my turn. I can go about my chores grumbling and complaining or I can adopt a cheerful attitude.
One day I was preparing for out-of-town guests, cleaning spots of the house that were long neglected. As I worked to make my house presentable, a strange thought occurred to me. What if I were getting ready for a visit from Jesus? (I feel confident he would not be scrutinizing the crumbs in the crisper drawer.) My attitude was transformed by the notion. My pace picked up as I hummed a tune. I was no longer slaving out of duty; instead, I was serving out of love. My kids may have wondered, “what’s up with mom?” I hope the lesson wasn’t lost.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,” (Ephesians 6:7).
Have you ever had the doorbell ring with an unexpected guest when you were least prepared? How did you welcome your guest? With apologies and your foot blockading the doorway? Or with graciousness and love?
Mother Teresa tells us, “It does not matter how much we give, but how much love we put into our giving.” Give what you have with love. Your attitude when you give is more important than what you have to share.
This was demonstrated to me a few weeks ago. I was in need and feeling lost and distressed. I found myself, uninvited and unannounced, on my friends’ doorstep. They were still unpacking after a recent move and had a busy day scheduled with chores and errands. They lovingly welcomed me to their house and dropped their lives for an hour to help me in my time of need. Their actions were simple. The love and compassion showed through.
As Jesus professed, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).
My friends are shining examples of service and leadership with love. I am inspired by them to reach out to others just as they did to me. Simple acts of kindness can have a big impact.
Leadership opportunities surround us. We may be leaders in business, in school, in church or in our own homes and neighborhoods. I believe that people are inspired to follow when a leader shows both passion and compassion. My father always reminded me that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If we are looking for a common ground as a basis for a conversation about faith, there is no more universal starting place than love.
Mother Teresa reminds us that “when your heart is large, God’s love will spill over, splashing onto everything you touch and wetting everyone you contact.”
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Leadership and service are hot topics in the world today. Teachers, coaches, bosses, church leaders and politicians impact our lives. What do you think makes a strong leader? What qualities and qualifications in a leader inspire you to follow?
Not all of us feel equipped to lead. We all know people who are fearful of stepping forward and taking on responsibility for others. Yet each of us has an opportunity - actually a responsibility - to lead others by the example of our daily life.
My daily life is not always noteworthy. As a wife and a mother I have many responsibilities. Many are mundane. There is nothing glamorous about mopping floors or washing dishes. I have bratty days when I mutter and complain, “why am I the only one who has to wash the floors?” One day in the midst of my pity party, it occurred to me, “I’m the mom.” These were jobs that I had unwittingly accepted when I became a wife and mother. It’s my turn. I can go about my chores grumbling and complaining or I can adopt a cheerful attitude.
One day I was preparing for out-of-town guests, cleaning spots of the house that were long neglected. As I worked to make my house presentable, a strange thought occurred to me. What if I were getting ready for a visit from Jesus? (I feel confident he would not be scrutinizing the crumbs in the crisper drawer.) My attitude was transformed by the notion. My pace picked up as I hummed a tune. I was no longer slaving out of duty; instead, I was serving out of love. My kids may have wondered, “what’s up with mom?” I hope the lesson wasn’t lost.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,” (Ephesians 6:7).
Have you ever had the doorbell ring with an unexpected guest when you were least prepared? How did you welcome your guest? With apologies and your foot blockading the doorway? Or with graciousness and love?
Mother Teresa tells us, “It does not matter how much we give, but how much love we put into our giving.” Give what you have with love. Your attitude when you give is more important than what you have to share.
This was demonstrated to me a few weeks ago. I was in need and feeling lost and distressed. I found myself, uninvited and unannounced, on my friends’ doorstep. They were still unpacking after a recent move and had a busy day scheduled with chores and errands. They lovingly welcomed me to their house and dropped their lives for an hour to help me in my time of need. Their actions were simple. The love and compassion showed through.
As Jesus professed, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).
My friends are shining examples of service and leadership with love. I am inspired by them to reach out to others just as they did to me. Simple acts of kindness can have a big impact.
Leadership opportunities surround us. We may be leaders in business, in school, in church or in our own homes and neighborhoods. I believe that people are inspired to follow when a leader shows both passion and compassion. My father always reminded me that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If we are looking for a common ground as a basis for a conversation about faith, there is no more universal starting place than love.
Mother Teresa reminds us that “when your heart is large, God’s love will spill over, splashing onto everything you touch and wetting everyone you contact.”
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
