This past weekend, I was thrilled to receive a bulky envelope from a good friend up north. Inside were two smaller envelopes: one held a stack of Kroger grocery store gift cards in varied amounts, and the other held a single gift card with a note and scripture verse attached. These were sent to us by a friend who has made a commitment to decrease her own family’s food budget a bit for the sake of freeing up some money to share with a family in need in my neighborhood.
In addition to their regular gift, this month they had also creatively enlisted the help and generosity of their family and friends. As they celebrated their son’s first birthday this past week, they invited people to give a grocery gift card in his honor instead of the usual stuffed animal, new outfit or toy. Thus, the generous stack of gift cards I now have sitting before me, ready to be used to help those in need we encounter among us.
I love it when we can see people creatively, tangibly expressing their love and submission to Christ in ways like this. I thank God for my friend, and for the testimony her son is witnessing in his earliest years about what it means to love and serve God.
Creative giving like that blesses all of us … I would really like your friend to know that even just hearing the story is a great encouragement to many of us called to serve neighborhoods that suffer from isolation.
Amen!
Hey Erika, this Thursday, my sister-in-law will be off bed-rest and the medication that’s been reducing contractions. Please pray for her. Ryan Justus Manthey is not due until September 13th. But she may go sooner.
Thanks.
May our Lord richly bless your soul.
Shalom
Nathanael,
Your family certainly will be in my prayers!!! While I am greatly limited in what I can do right now, prayer is certainly something I am finding a lot of time for 🙂 Please tell your sister-in-law that we are praying for her and for little Ryan.