Givers...

I was listening to the radio on the way to the store a couple of weeks ago.  Ben had it on one of the talk radio stations he listens to. The pastor was talking about the gift of giving. Then over the course of a few hours, Papa has prompted me with scriptures about the gift of giving and pointed out that He's given us that gift.

Scriptures like:

Hebrews 13:16- Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

2 Corinthians 9:7- Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

1 John 3:17- But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

Acts 20:35- In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Those are just a few examples of what He says to us in the Bible. How can I read His Word and not do what He says? There are so many verses in the Bible about giving... to the needy, to the poor, to the widows and children. There are also verses that admonish you for not giving generously and cheerfully.. for being stingy or grudgingly giving (you know, "if I have to" or "well if no one else will" or "I guess I can...."  and you really have to say that in Eeyore's ho hum, life is awful voice to get the full intent). It all boils down to love. Love Papa and love His people. Love us. Love you. Love them. Love by giving.. of yourself, your time, your money, your stuff, your whatever that He calls you to share. It all comes back to love.  

He's blessed us in so many ways, so many times, using so many different people. It's amazing to experience it. You see, usually we are the ones needing help. Since we started down the path of asking God to lead us, we've been on a slick, slippery slope of "financial disaster". At this point in the story, I like to call it "learning to trust God is good ALL the time".  Ben lost his job, the new one fell through, he went on unemployment for two years while going to school and doing whatever odd jobs he could find. At the same time I was led to quit my 40 hour week job to stay home and get closer to God and get well. Throw in repossession, foreclosure, credit's out the window and on and on and on I could go. It's been a mess. But throughout the ups and downs, we've been blessed by givers.  I look around my house and I see a story of love. The living room furniture, the dining room table, the beds, the cool cabinet in my kitchen, the dresser in our room... almost everything in our house was given to us. Everywhere I turn, I see an example of God's love.

I know some of you may be shaking your head right about now and are thinking that I'm talking about materialistic stuff and all that, but that's not what I'm getting at.... I'm talking about people, God's people. People around us who saw a need, could meet that need, and did. People in our lives who loved us in the lowest of lows and rejoiced with us in the highest of highs.  They listened to the prompting of the Spirit and provided for us. We've had food show up on days we were running out. Clothes or shoes given to us, about the time we realize the kids have hit a growth spurt. Little needs, big needs, financial needs, emotional needs.... All being met by a loving Savior who prompts loving givers. They were there, they cared, and they obeyed Him. We've made it through an awful lot by the grace of God and His givers. Every slip and slide down that slope led us closer and closer to Him. Why did so many people help us?

Out of love. Not out of a sense of have-to or guilt or showing off, but out of love. 

As I've been on this journey of eliminating the excess in my life, instead of selling all our crap,  He's had me giving away. Most of the time, it's been joyfully and generously.  I would dearly love to say all the time, but by now I'm sure you know that I'm real and really messy.  As He is cleaning me up and cleaning out all my clutter and trash, He's got me cleaning up the clutter and trash in my material world. I still have moments with small things, like clothes or that one thing that so-and-so gave me, that find me seriously wanting to stomp my foot and say, "no, I don't want to do this." But then  He pokes me, or whispers to me, or even at times yells at me to see what it is that I'm doing: holding up the progress.

We can't get to the end result without going through the elimination process.

If I'm stomping my foot and pouting instead of being generous and cheerful, I'm saying I don't want what He wants for me. I want what I want. I don't want to obey. I want that "perfect" life where everything goes my way and I never have to want for anything or have anyone tell me what I can and can't do. I don't want to love like He loves... I don't want to experience Him.

Sigh...... I don't want to be that person. Most of the time I'm not. We gave away something this week that could've been sold to make our financial worldly lives a little better. Then I caught myself today trying to hang onto clothes that I don't need in a last ditch effort to maintain some control of my life.

I have to let go. I have to obey. I have to listen to what He's telling me, learn the lesson and get ready for the next step in this journey. I have to trust that He knows what is best for me. I have to know that His leading me to give or receive always comes with it's own special blessing. I have to believe in Love. I have to believe in His love. I have to believe in Him.

Even better? I GET to do all these things, because He loves us. It's not a have to... it's a get to, a want to.. It's experiencing everything He has in store for us, one moment of trust at a time. It's giving of myself, whatever the request may be. And it is always, always good.