Giving

I recently read an article on volunteering for the homeless shelter and they wanted everyone to sign up. I thought about how the homeless are not just homeless at Christmas and remembered how inundated the shelter was when I was homeless with people coming to assist at the holiday. I remembered as I've volunteered at various charities throughout the year that this season is of course the busiest. How great would it be if we could all take time in the off season to be a blessing and to look beyond our own space and think of others; not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas but set aside time once a month to do something that stretches us.

An area that God deals with me specifically is in the area of sowing my time. I give clothes, money freely but time is the area where I am stingy! :) So now the stretching for me is in the one area I hold most dear and that's my time. So I make it a priority to sow into others that precious commodity and learn that truly isn't all about me and my agenda for life; but want God wants for me and how a simple gesture or kind word can truly change the course of someone's day or even the course of their life.

I challenge you to do the same a month or two months from now,when the holiday is over to remember the Los Angeles Mission, or any homeless shelter or the Los Angeles Food Bank and support them with your time. My personal fave is the Reading to Kids program too. Nothing is more grand than the written word. As a writer and lover of words, reading is one of my favorite pasttimes plus I love reading in front of kids and seeing the illumination or anticipation of what's to come on their faces.

Have a great day and let someone else see the Jesus in you. Smile, be kind, share Him today. :)