Thursday, December 6, 2012

December 7, 2012 ~ Day 7: Giving our hearts (with a gift)




If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18

Day 7

Thoughts ~ I have the coolest checks and on every fourth one it says “scatter joy’ with a fun watercolor splash of color sweeping across the check.  That one is my very favorite of all. It makes me happy to see the word joy, but even more, to think of being a joy-scatterer. Is that even a word? Well, it is for today. I want to scatter joy today and throughout this Christmas Season. I want to bring joy to the hopeless, to the sad, to the lonely. I want to show love in action. If it could be my full time job, it would make me the happiest woman alive.

God allowed me (so wisely) to endure some tough financial times in my life so I would understand what it is like to be on the low end of the income level. I was never homeless or destitute, but I lost a lot and learned that there is nothing that God will not do to teach us humility and compassion, empathy too. As a result of those times, He opened my eyes to the way people feel when they don’t have much. Even though I was able to pay my rent and eat fresh food, I learned what it meant to wonder how the electric bill will be paid.  And every single month, all the bills were paid, but some months I had very little left over for fun, for a little “me” money. And then one month, people scattered joy into my life with surprise gift cards to help me live a little bit easier.

To those people, I will forever be grateful; but to the Lord, I will bow down in thanks for teaching me how to be a joy scatterer.

Actions ~ You can be a joy scatterer too! Today will cost you a little bit of money and if you can’t do that, go back to one of the earlier days where money is not involved, but join with us if you are able to. Today I would love for all of us to bless someone with a gift card.  McDonalds has them for $5.00, Starbucks too. The stores usually sell them for $15 or $20 and up. Every place is different.  But that is not the point. Just buy one (this may hook you into buying moreJ) and place it in a pretty holder or Christmas envelope . . . something festive. And then pray. God may lead you to buy a large amount or several, that is up to Him and your check book. It is the thought here that counts so just buy what you can. I promise a $5 Starbucks card will make someone happy! Think outside the box too: gas cards, grocery stores and other places that might be just what the recipient is needing.



Pray God will show you who is needing this gift if someone didn’t already come to your mind. When people are hurting, $5 or $20 is big to them. Or if they are on such a limited income, the same is there. The person may be a single Mom or Dad struggling, a senior citizen living on a mere social security income. It may be a college student who is unable to treat themselves to lunch or a homeless person who is so down and out, they can’t find the joy anymore. Today, December 7th, is our day to give a little more of ourselves to someone who needs that little bit of hope, that little bit of fun. That extra scattering of joy.

When you give your gift card away, be sure to say Merry Christmas.  And just maybe a conversation will begin about Jesus who Christmas is all about after all. You are going to love giving of your heart today!



Prayer ~ Lord, as we give a little more of ourselves today, show us the people who need the joy the most. Lead us to them as though there is an arrow pointing to them. Amen.

Trusting in the Lord always,
Becky

(PS: You may love being A JOY SCATTERER so much that it becomes part of your life, to have a gift card always available when someone is in need. It is one of my goals). 

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