Several of you expressed your desire to give away to those in need. I would love to hear more stories, or even just how it is going.
I will post from my own week in the next day or two...
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Intentionally giving something away, every week, to someone in need. I'd love for you to join me...
About Me
What's this all about?
I am intentionally giving something away, every week, to someone in need. I'd love for you to join me...
Why?
Why?
- Because there are lots of people in need, people with less than me, people that I encounter every day.
- Because I believe Jesus is right when he tells us we should, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."
- Because I have committed, along with some other friends, to fast (go without) so that others may feast (have). I think this is one way I can do that, and can invite others to do the same.
- Giving something that I have (especially food and clothes) to someone else. It's that simple.
- Doing this at least once a week
- Practicing this kindness between now and the end of 2007
- I pray and ask God to show me those in need
- As I am out, I intentionally look for people who have need
- I do not give anonymously or to people in the crowd. I believe God wants me to know His children. Even if this means getting to know someone as I give, I want to learn names, hear stories, and rub against the realities of others
- Though this giving happens without fanfare, I am using this space to share stories of what I am learning and experiencing as I give. I hope others will do the same.
2 comments:
Sang wrote this to me, and I asked her if I could post it...
Yesterday, as I was in the bus stop waiting on my way back from work (I try not to drive once a week by taking the bus when my shift is not too late or on my day off), a guy about my age asked me for a couple dollars, he was very hungry. A grocery shop was right across the street, so I told him I will go to the store and buy him a sandwich. He actually wanted this bulk bottle of peanuts on sale for $2.50. He said it had lots of potassium, and it would last him a while. I never knew peanuts were a rich source of potassium. the things you learn to survive you know?
the bit he shared/i got to know about him is that he is puerto rican, musician, and moved from new york to LA and a few things fell through and got some knee damage, etc etc and now was not doing very well. his eyes were very red and irritated from wearing his contact lenses too long, that he finally took it off yesterday so it was improving but he couldn't see well. So got him some eye drops too. and coffee. he said that he was raised protestant christian, his grandparents had a plantation in puerto rico, his granpa was strict protestant christian and "ruled with an iron fist" were the words he used. he didn't want to go back to his family, they had their own dysfunctional problems to deal with, and his only good friend moved back to new york so he was having a hard time. he hangs out by that bus stop area so i might see him again. his name is Ricky. anyhow, this whole time i was interacting with him, your email was on my mind. thanks for sharing it with me.
it's so neat to take the bus once a week and walk the streets. i had a few interactions with people, and just love being in the pace of daily flow of coming and going in a city without a center like los angeles :)
This week we had our carpets in our lounge ripped up and laminated wooden flooring put in. The guys who put it in were going to take the old carpet with them to chuck it away, but a neighbour (living in the same complex as I) spotted them and said she knew a partially-blind couple in Pretoria West who are struggling financially and could make use of the carpet. The only problem was that neither this neighbour nor the couple could drive.
So on Friday, with my car loaded to capacity with carpet, I drove across to Pretoria West. I was pretty irritated, as my car was dangerously full of carpet, with my rearview mirror completely blocked, and the dusty under-felt left my entire car, and body, covered in bits of itchy felt and dust.
The whole way there I was coughing and sneezing, feeling hot, dirty-finger-nailed, itchy-skinned and like I just didn't have time for this. My one motivating factor was being able to tell the story on this blog:-)
After getting very lost a few times, I arrived at what I thought was the right home but the couple weren't there. So there I stood in some dodgy street with all the neighbourhood dogs barking at me and a car full of carpet (and itchy and dusty bits and pieces).
But then Oom Grawie arrived on the scene. Oom Grawie is an elderly neighbour to the partially-blind couple and saw my distress and kindly came to my assistance. He immediately offered to store the carpets in his back yard. He helped me drag all the heavy carpets out of my car, and then passed the time of day with me with such pleasantries and kindness. We really had the most lovely chat.
All the way on the (itchy, dusty) drive home, I had a smile on my face due to the nice conversation with Oom Grawie, an absolute stranger who was so prepared to be helpful and kind to another absolute stranger. It made me think how giving to people in need involves a whole lot of receiving as well. (And perhaps there are not 'those in need' versus 'those that have' but that all of us are in need in different ways?).
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