We are continuing today in our Lenten journey .. just a couple of more weeks until Easter! This week's challenge had to do with giving. You can check out previous weeks here: Lent + Fasting, and Lent + Prayer.
Week 3: Giving
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. " Matthew 6:1-4
Once again, giving isn't something that God says if you give, he says when you give. We are commanded to give in monetary ways to the church and to others and we are commanded to give so that we are meeting the needs of others in terms of food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities. We are also commanded to give of our time and our selves.
Giving requires sacrifice. Sometimes that means not going on vacation but instead using that money to go on a mission trip. Sometimes that means the time you could spend doing other things are spent serving others. Sometimes that means getting out of your comfort zone and talking to the person who is always alone at work or school. Sometimes it as simple as getting up early and surprising your husband with his morning coffee.
The challenge this week was to find 3 specific ways you could give to 3 different people or groups of people. Giving could come in many forms- monetary, a kind word, serving them in some way, a simple thank you for the influence they have in your life- just for some ideas.
Let's be honest here. I felt like I pretty much failed at this challenge. When I think of giving my first thought is giving of my time and myself in service to others. I think of volunteering at the food pantry, being apart of a building project, assisting with Vacation Bible School, and other similar projects. But an average week doesn't always include opportunities for such projects. I don't think about my everyday life of going to work and being a wife or just simple, ordinary interactions with others as opportunities to give. Have I over thought and over analyzed this? Or did I just overlook the opportunities that were before me to give in other ways?
If there was is one thing that I have learned in marriage it is that the small things matter. They matter in terms of bothering you and they matter in terms of making a big difference. The same applies for for giving--small acts of love are important.
Sometimes I feel pretty empty when I get home from school because, technically speaking, I have given all. day. long. Being a teacher, especially in early childhood, means that 22 kids need me all day, every day. They need someone to tie their shoes, help them write their name, to comfort them when they fall, to show patience and discipline at the same time, and they need someone to show them love. Each morning I ask God to fill me up with so much love that it just overflows. I ask for God to fill me with patience and wisdom so that I can give it away throughout the day. Most days I feel like I have failed at these things, but I keep asking and trying and praying for God to change me.
So why did I feel like I had failed then if I am attempting to give of myself in my career and in other ways in my life? I think the answer here has to do with my perception and view of giving. I don't have to be on a mission trip or involved in church ministry to be giving of my time and self. This is a challenge that I want a do over in, and this time I am going to focus on giving in my everyday life and making it such an integrated part of myself that I don't even think about it.
Next week: Thankfulness!
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