For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke
12:34
Often we are so determined in
helping others that our purpose gets misunderstood.
In the throes of packing mayhem,
I sat down and composed an ad, much like the one I had created for gifting my
garden late in the summer.
Many late nights stacked up on
me, much like the boxes I wrote numbers on, to keep track of. All along, I have
been separating my belongings and my daughters into an area, which would have
me, extend kindness to someone else who may need it. As I filled up one,
two…six…fourteen boxes, before I closed each one up, I wrote a personal quote
on the inside flap. This ensured when the recipient opened the boxes, there
would be caring words to greet them. By day five, I was in awe of how freely I
was giving things that I once clung to, as if they contained the essence of
life.
Since she was a young girl, my daughter collected Betty Boop. Shayla had
amassed an impressive collection, with her BB jacket being one of the most
revered. Over time, I chose to break the collection apart. Much like the
fragmented person I once felt I was…the pieces of her Betty Boop eventually
found new life elsewhere. In keeping only a select few, I know Shayla as a
giver, would respect my decision to donate the rest.
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| My daughter's toys waiting to be played with... |
The ad was basic and stated I
wanted to pay it forward to a single mother and her little girl. I mentioned
since I did not have a truck, I could not transport the boxes and furniture to
the intended receiver. I asked for 100 words or less as why the person would
like the things I had to offer for free. Turning in for the night that had
morphed into dawn, I went to bed and in my prayers asked to be lead to whoever
was in need.
The next morning, before my cup
of coffee was finished infusing its aroma into my suite, I checked my emails. I
already had half a dozen messages.
Reaching for my coffee, I rubbed
the sleep that felt like grains of sand from my eyes and I went into my prayer
room.
Back at my computer, I began reading personal messages
from others who had read my original post. These emails were saturated in kind
words which flowed from the fingertips of others. Here are a few, with no names
to respect their privacy: How
very kind of you. I hope you are able to select someone worthy of your
generosity…Just wanting to tell
you that what you're doing is awesome. That's all :)… Feel VERY PROUD OF YOURSELF for what you are doing to help
someone else!... You are pure grace under fire. Well done for you and your
daughter…I pray for Peace and Strength for you. May the right
person/people come along. Blessings!
To go from folding my hands in
prayer for someone I have never met to having hope rise up like the morning
sun, filled me with joy! I was carried out of the darkness and into the light
upon those who saw the purpose of what I had intended, all along.
As I began to pack more of my
life up and Shayla’s things; the emails continued to fill my inbox. The next
day, I was taking time out to just breathe, at a special place I go to by the
sea.
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Source:Priscilla Shirer, Gideon Series
I pulled out my phone and re-read
the email I had received. It was from a single mother, who was widowed and had
a little girl. Something in my heart knew that this was the person I had been
waiting to hear from. As the pounding surf covered the pebbled beach, I smiled,
as I felt Shayla’s approval from the heaven’s above.
Travelling back to my
suite, more messages were coming through. This time, I received two separate
offers of help, if needed, by two gentlemen who had trucks. They would pick up
the stuff I had and take it to whoever I had chosen to receive all I had to
give. One of the men recalled how his mother raised him single handily and he
wanted to assist in any way possible.
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Once back home, I looked at the other places I was giving to; a variety of non-profit
organizations, including Bibles For A Mission. I thought it was in fairness to distribute everything, as there are so
many in need. In donating items, I have met many incredible, compassionate
volunteers who give freely of their time and efforts.
In my suite, as I sat down in what is chaos,
tears began to fall. Here I was with no home to move into myself and I was
giving my life away…piece by piece. Yet, I was not lamenting, rather rejoicing.
With every box I poured my love into, my own weight was being lifted by my
Creator. I was no longer being held back, bound to things. I looked onto my
bare walls. There was one paper taped above my computer. It was a short passage
that conveyed so much of what I was feeling:
At a memorial service for my friend’s dad, someone said to her,
“Until I met your father, I didn’t know a person could have fun while helping
others.” Her dad contributed his part in helping build the kingdom through
serving people, laughing and loving, meeting strangers who became friends. When
he died, he left a legacy of love. In contrast, my friend’s aunt viewed her
possessions as her legacy, spending the latter years worrying about who would
protect her heirlooms and rare books. ~ ODB
I decided to call the lady who
had messaged me earlier, after we had swapped more information through our
emails. From the moment we exchanged hello’s, we engaged in conversation. I
began to hear more about her journey and also about her daughter.
Something struck me about this
woman. Despite the loss of her husband, she was determined to overcome the struggles
she had been enduring and wanted to help others in the process. She asked if
there were any other single mothers who could use the stuff I was offering,
which showed me her caring heart. Then when speaking of the things being given
to her, she remarked: “It will be like Christmas came early.”
The words resonated
within me by the grace in her sharing.
In the end, we worked out the details; with
one of the men who offered to help delivering it all to the woman’s residence.
I reached back out to the woman
and asked if it was okay to mention our interaction in my blog, which she was
happy to grant me permission. I respect the privacy of others, so I have not
included their names.
It was important for me to meet her and
her daughter; therefore I am driving to her place on the weekend, when the
boxes will be dropped off.
As we spoke once again, she
thanked me, letting me know her plans would be to pay it forward to others. If there were things she didn’t need, then
she would donate them to someone else. Another thing she shared brought
me contentment…the woman wondered if it was okay to stay in contact, every so
often letting me know how they were doing.
It was the full circle of giving
that made this all worthwhile and the beauty of generosity unfolded in ways, I
could not have foreseen.
~ What we value reveals the state of our heart
By TL Alton
