Friday 14 March, 2008.
Have you ever listened to someone speak about helping others and your heart starts pounding? Have you ever heard something and you feel as if you MUST do something to help? That's how I feel with just about every charity I come across. God gave me a heart to give and oh, how I love to do it! Val and I attended a luncheon last month for a local organization called 4 Kids of South Florida and I was sobbing after viewing the touching video of children in foster care that need homes. Val knew what I was thinking...that we have a 5 bedroom home and we could surely take in another 4 or 5 kids! Yes, my heart leaps to the extreme and I'm sure I'd do it if it weren't for Val saying, "Honey, we need to pray about this." Sometimes I want to help so much, I forget to talk to God. I don't know that we'll adopt 4 or 5 children, but I do know that it's something I think about, and know that I'd need to take it one step at a time should the Lord lead us that way. I also have to remember that I'm not the only one in my home, but God's leading must be placed on both mine AND my husband's heart.
Recently we met up with our accountant to get our taxes organized. He works with about 30 other families, several of them who play hockey. Each year for the past 3 years, he's given the prize of a bottle of "real maple syrup" (he's from Canada) to the family who stays closest to their annual budget. We've taken that prize before but not this year. And as we continued to talk, he said to us, "I'm really surprised to see how much you've given to charity this year. It seems to be getting more and more each year and yet neither of you make nearly the money you used to since Val retired". He then said, "You definitely take the prize for most charitable giving among all the families I work for." Really?? I jumped up and down with joy- so excited and overjoyed at the money we'd given away to great causes all in the name of Jesus. I then asked him if I could write a "challenge" to all the families he works for in his quarterly newsletter to see who could out-give!! He thought it was a wonderful idea and told me to start writing.
That same evening I starting talking about my trip to Africa. I told him about Children's Hunger Fund and an oganization within CHF called Jungle Ride. My girlfriend Shelene started Jungle Ride when she saw the need for bicycles to enable food delivery to remote villages all over the world during her trip to Uganda. These bicycles are assembled within the same country they are given, providing jobs for locals, then dispersed to pastors who are able to minister and deliver food packs provided by Children's Hunger Fund to children and families in isolated parts of the world. After viewing a 10 minute DVD about Jungle Ride, our accountant bought 20 bicycles!! (They're $85 per bike). Because of his enthusiasm for Jungle Ride, I asked if I could include the DVD to each of the families receiving his quarterly newsletter. :) He agreed! I can't wait to see the response over the next year.
I hope you'll visit my links page. These are a few of the organizations Val and I contribute to. I hope that you would consider helping by sponsoring a child through Compassion International, making a donation to Children's Hunger Fund and Jungle Ride, or committing to pray for 4 Kids of South Florida. Please don't toss aside the prayer, thinking it's not enough. Do you know how powerful prayer is?? Without prayer, none of these organizations would be accomplishing what they're doing. You don't have to be wealthy to make a difference.
Why am I sharing all this with you? Because I hope you'll experience the joys of giving the way I have. From the depths of my soul, I can honestly say it is so much better to give than receive. I also hope you don't think I'm boasting in any way but sincerely sharing my heart.
I know some of you may be thinking, "Sure, it's easy for you to give, Candace. You have money to give away!" Again, you don't have to have money to give. Giving can consist of your time through volunteer work, being an ear to listen, and prayer.
If you have a heart to sponsor a child but aren't able to - how about praying for Sagorika, Philimon and Nikil? We've been sponsoring them through Compassion International for about 2 years. They are not related but all live in Bangladesh.
Please write and share your giving stories with me!
Nikil
Philimon
Sagorika
