Showing posts with label help others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label help others. Show all posts

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Refresh

Proverbs 11:25
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

For the love of baseball.

My grandson’s baseball team had decided to go select, which meant a steeper price to pay to play. To raise money for his fees, my daughter chose to make and sell heart-shaped cake pops just in time for Valentine’s Day. The generosity of people overwhelmed us. Before she knew it, folks had ordered over 700 cake pops. I learned, in short order, what an intensive process went into those cute little pops on the end of a stick.

On the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, Maggie, Sara, and I started the process of cutting the dough into heart shapes around 10 am. Maggie had already baked a bunch of cakes and mixed them with icing to create the dough. We cut or stuffed the small heart-shaped cookie cutters with dough, then set them aside to chill. Once they set, Maggie dipped them in melted candy and we decorated them with sprinkles and more melted candy. At 4 pm Sara left and Michael (Maggie’s husband) joined us to decorate and wrap each one in a plastic bag and tie it closed. I left at 6 pm and prayed they were able to finish. From beginning to end, it took several family members to complete the task. Dilly, Dylan, and Emma jumped in after 10pm to dip, decorate, and wrap. They worked with Maggie until late into the night. Then, Maggie and Zeke finished and delivered them on Sunday.

I love that so many hands helped make the load lighter, and so did Maggie. She appreciated all who helped, either in person or financially.

Proverbs 11:25 reminds me to be generous, not just with money, but with my time. To take the opportunity to help others and lighten their load. I love to see this in person and be part of the refreshment of others.

When have you been able to help someone in need? When has someone helped you?

Saturday, May 7, 2022

See the Need

Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I love the song by For King and Country called Relate. They asked the question of how we relate to a variety of people, and that we all experience heartache and joy even if it is in different ways.

When I worked at the college library, I met a lot of people who were different than me. Yet we all had many things in common. We all experienced heartache, joy, anxiety, stress, love, hope, and the list could go on. Our lives were varied, yet we could relate to one another in some way.

I remember a student who visited the library daily. He saw the world through a different lens than most of us. He didn't like his routine to be interrupted, and he wanted to sit at the same computer and stay on the track he created for himself. Fortunately for me, I got to know him and found he cared about life as much as I did. He may not have functioned the same as me, but he had similar feelings, dreams, and experiences.

In Philippians, Paul has written a letter to the church in Philippi. He is simply asking them to see each other through God's eyes as valuable contributors to the Kingdom of God. As a believer, I know God has called me to love others, to see souls, and to encourage where I can no matter who God places in my path. He asks me to be humble and place others burdens before mine. In our busy world, it's not easy to stay focused on the needs of others, but God wants me to cherish others and seek to help in any way I can.

Look beyond the outside of people, see them with God's eyes.