Day 3: Living for others. It's hard. It is hard to always put others needs ahead of your own. As moms and dads we do it for our kids, but to do it for complete strangers? We don't know them. Why should we help them? How do we know they are sincere in asking for our help? How do we know they aren't scamming us? Many times I have had this same conversation with people and even with myself. Here is the way I look at it. That man is asking for my help. I should never judge him or question him. He asked for my help and I should give it to him. If for any reason he is doing it for the wrong reason, he will have his judgement day. I will not have to answer for any ones actions but my own. Also here is a thought, we have no do idea when or where Jesus could come back. What if Jesus is the bum asking me for help on the side of the road? And then I drove right by him? Didn't even show him a concern at all? That is not what I want to be answering to when my day comes. Now after giving my views on the needy here is what I did for day 3 of my challenge. At the church I attend, the Harbor Church of NWA, we made care bags for the homeless last year. We took cheap canvas bags and filled them with things a person living on the street might need. Socks, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, chapstick, water, snacks and a list of shelters in the area with the number to someone at the church listed on it if they need someone to talk to. We have carried these bags around in our cars since last year just waiting to find a person who needs them. Today as I was driving home from my job I saw a person on the corner with the sign 'my family needs your help'. Your family! This lady has a family. I was so very happy that I had the bag in my car today and was able to give it to her. I handed it out the window to her and she said 'God Bless'. It was such a great feeling to be able to help her just a little bit. I know the bag won't go far but if she gets anything out of it at all it will be worth our time and resources we used to make the bags. I was still on my high from helping her when I got home to check in with Kurt to see what he did today to help others. He responded that he opened the door for someone today. That was nice. It was putting someone else before him and that is the point of the whole challenge. It's not about how big the gesture is but instead it is about the actual act. We don't need to spend a million dollars to help people. It's the little things. Opening the door for someone. Waiting in traffic and letting someone out before you. Taking the newspaper from the drive way to your neighbors door. All these little things can make someone elses day and it cost you nothing but a second of your time. So as we embark on another day let's try to think of others and what they need. You might be surprised at how something so simple can warm your heart and the hearts of everyone involved. Come back tomorrow to see what happens on day 4.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Day 2 is for the animals!
In new news though, my husband Kurt thinks that he is going to get on board with this project! He says I do nice things. So he came home with his list of nice things he did for other people today. First, he said a persons car was stalled on the road today blocking traffic so he stopped and help the guy push his car off the road. Secondly, a guy at one of the businesses he working at today locked his keys in his car. He helped jimmy the door to get the door open so he could retrieve his keys. And lastly, he wanted to point out the fact that he came home and made dinner for me. Potatoes and stuffed pork chops! Yummy! I told you he was a wonderful husband. Except now he thinks he can do 3 nice things today and I pulled out one? Oh this could be war around this house. lol Stay tuned for day 3!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Day 1 of challenge!
Day 1: Drove back down the same road today as yesterday and the man was not standing on the corner today. Good for him. Bad for my challenge. lol So instead of trying to help him I fell back on an old favorite of mine. The local christian radio station KLRC has a time each year when they pay it forward in the drive thru. So that is what I did. I went to get my lunch today at Taco Bell and before I drove off I paid for the guy behind me. I know not the best or healthiest lunch choice but it was quick. The man in the drive thru just looked at me when I said "I would like to also pay for the guy behind me" like I was some crazy woman just released from the looney bin. He responds " is he your friend back there"? "Nope! I have no idea who that guy back there is. Just felt like he needed a free lunch today". The drive thru attendant took the money and I drove off. I am still not sure if the poor taco bell worker caught up or if he is still dumbfounded. lol Sometimes it is nice for people to be thrown off guard. It is rather sad though that he was confused at my choice to do something nice for a stranger. We need to all take time to do nice things for other people. Today was an easy day for my challenge. I am hoping with each new day someone or something presents itself to me. God wants me to help others. I am God's child and I will do what He needs of me. This was day 1 please follow me to day 2!
Blogging? Say What?
First off I just want to mention that I have no blogging experience. I have really no idea what I am doing. Actually I had to look at other bloggers and google it many times to try to figure out what exactly I needed to do to even make a blog. I have always enjoyed writing but since having kids I have pushed it to the side. With this blog I hope to get back in the swing of things. I also hope to find followers that feel the same way I do about God and what he is calling us to do. Between all the crazy things going on in our lives with family and work we often forget about what is the most important, our relationship with God. He needs to be the number one relationship we have in our lives. Although as a mom and a wife it is hard to put Him first. Kids are needing your love and kisses, help with homework, dinner, bathes, laundry. It's hard for any of us to say that can wait. What does God need from me right now? I am hoping that some people feel the same way that I do and maybe together we can support each other to be who He has called us to be. For me, I know he has called me to help. I feel a very strong urge to help those around me. I have recently done a few food drives for local food banks. Helped with different foundations in our area to help the needy. 7 Hills Homeless shelter. The United Way. Just finished helping my son and his cub scout troup raise over 1500 items for a food bank right down the road from my house. As much as I have tried to help and so many others too, I still drive down the road and see a man standing on the side of the road in the pouring rain with a sign " my family needs help". My heart breaks! Think about it for just a second. How long could one of us go without our job? How long if we lost our job today would we make it before we would be on the same curb righting frostbite? That's is crazy. That is scary! So as a part of this blog I am going to live for someone else. I am going to do something for some one other than myself everyday for the rest of this year. I know you are thinking, ' You are crazy, you can't do something for someone else everyday'. lol Well this is me. This is what I am going to do! It doesn't have to be anything big everyday. Maybe today I will start with helping the guy standing in the rain on the corner. In the end I am going to post a blog each day with what I did to help another. I appreciate all ideas and hope that maybe my blog will help inspire other people to see what is happening in our community or what is He calling you to do?!?!!?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)