Sunday, July 7, 2013

His Grace in Giving To Us So We Can Give To Others

One of my favorite things to do is get rid of things.  It's a weird hobby/obsession, I know, but it fits with my minimalist tendencies and my penchant for numbers.  I utilize the former to whittle down what's in my closet, and I use the latter to throw out food and medicine that have extended their stays on my shelves beyond their expiration dates.  It's actually quite cathartic for me.

In sorting through the garage, my closet, and the pantry the past few weeks and making piles to throw away and piles to donate, I recognized that it's a blessing to have enough to give to others.  To be able to tangibly meet someone's needs for food and clothing out of my overflow is humbling. 

I usually think of giving only in terms of tithing.  But that's a little harder to visualize because I don't see where my money goes or how it is used.

Yet the Lord is so generous that He gives more than we need in so many areas of our lives.  I can give tangible goods, like those I came across in my organizing, but I can also share joy, love, encouragement, the Gospel, empathy, and an endless list of intangible gifts that the Lord has also given me.  Most importantly, pointing people back to Him and not taking the credit.  After all, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:25)

As Ann Voskamp says, "Blessed to be a blessing."  And it is so very true.  It's just a matter of living it out in every area of my life and not just my finances.