Seed To The Sower

We live on a pretty tight budget.  Sometimes being on a tight budget can really be hard.  It’s especially hard when you see opportunities for ministry (read: giving money to a worthy cause), and have to decline because there is no more wiggle room in the budget.  To be honest I started to feel really condemned for not being able to do certain things.  Then God gave me a rare opportunity. 

After combining two households a year ago, and then separating those two households again, I found myself drowning in a pile of stuff.  I hate clutter.  I also hate having a yard sale.  So I posted on Freecycle that I had a few end tables to give away.  (Freecycle is a Yahoo group that you can join and offer things for FREE, or ask for things for FREE when in need.)

Within 5 minutes of posting a lady called and wanted to know if she could come and get the tables.  She came by with her 3 children.  My heart broke for them.  You could tell they had all been through a LOT, and it had been bad.  Long story short, she’d fled an abusive relationship and had moved here from her home state to start over, with nothing but their clothes and her car.

I rather timidly said  something like “hey I have all of this stuff I’m going to get rid of if you want any of it”.   With the kids and the end tables shoved in the car, she couldn’t get anything else in there, so she asked if she could come back the next day while the kids were at school.

The next day she did return and spent about 45 minutes going through things that I’d forgotten we had.  I kept hearing her whisper these little comments like “oh God”…”I can’t believe this”…”oh my God”.

When we finished loading boxes into her car she thanked me, and gave me a big hug and started to cry.  Then she said “You don’t understand.  I just did my Christmas shopping out of your basement.  You had things that my kids had to leave behind.  You had a Dora doll!  I can make my kids cupcakes now, because I have a muffin tin.”  Yeah, so I’m blubbering at this point.

I was able to share with her about God while we stood there.  I shared about His love, faithfulness, provision and protection, and how He cares about little things like a Dora doll.

She left with a car load of “stuff”, but I think I received the bigger blessing.  As she was driving away, God reminded me of His Word.

2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;

The New Living Translation words it like this

2 Corinthians 9:10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

That’s what I call a good day!

My Good Deed for the Day

I was looking at nail polish at Wal-Mart, and this dad, with a super cute little girl comes up the aisle.  She was maybe 4 at the oldest.   She wanted press on nails, he had no clue and she's like "look daddy here they are".  So he got her some nails, and polish..it was really cute. 

Fast forward about 5 or so minutes later and I see them somewhere else and notice she's getting a bit antsy while he's talking to her about the stuff they are getting.  About 3  minutes later I run up on them again and she's in full fledge wild pee-pee dance mode.  He's still being like the coolest dad in the world talking about Barbie's and stuff with her but totally not seeing what's about to happen.  

So I walk up and say "Um, excuse me sir, I hate to butt in....but you're about to have an accident on your hands." 

Blank look.  Crickets chirping. 

By now child has her hand fully embedded in her crotch and her legs are crossed.   He says "excuse me?"...so I point at her and say "she needs to pee...NOW".

I've never seen a grown man panic in such a manner before.  It was hilarious.  So I point him to the nearest bathroom (thankfully about 3 aisles away) and he leaves his cart and takes off RUNNING through Wal-Mart with her. 

I saw them from a distance later and he yells "THANKS LADY!  THANKS ALOT!".....

Yep, I saved his butt from a big old chewing out when he got home.

Small Things To One

Our neighbor, Ms. Kay,  is a lovely and lively 70ish widow lady.   She is a native of Luxembourg, and has the most delightful accent.  More importantly, she has a wonderful warm and loving disposition about her.   She’s become a surrogate grandmother to Olivia and Lindsey.

In her native land of Luxembourg they celebrate “St. Nicholas Day” on December 6.  So we decided to treat her to a little St. Nicholas Day celebration.

The girls and I made her some lemon poppy seed scones.  Added some German chocolates, various teas and some ginger honey for her scones.   Then the kids made a lovely St. Nicholas Day card.  Our original plan was to leave it by her door with her morning paper so she could be surprised, but the wind is gusting up to 35 miles per hour today…so we opted for a personal delivery.

There’s nothing like making a little old lady burst into tears first thing in the morning!  She was so surprised and excited, almost like a little kid herself!  She squealed “you have no idea how much this means to me!”

I tell you this, not to say “oh wow, look at us what great people we are”.  Rather, my motive is to show you how something so small and simple can mean the world to someone else.

So this holiday season, and all year long, look around.  See who needs a little pick me up, a little something that says “you matter”.  Rather it be some scones, or a bouquet of wild flowers or 10 minutes over a cup of tea.

Be a blessing to those around you.