Gratitude = Generosity = Blessed

“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”  Proverbs 22:9 (NIV)                            

No matter what country they live in, if they’re rich or poor, educated or uneducated, employed or unemployed; kids play, grandmothers brag and dote, aunts lend support and mamas want the best for their children.  A year ago this past week, I was privileged to be able to travel with team members from Compassion International along with other speakers to Nicaragua where I got to meet my sponsored child, Wendell, and his family.  To pray specifically for a child by name and then to be able to hold him in your arms and see how much he is loved by his mother, aunt, grandmother and cousins was both empowering and emotional.  Knowing my few dollars every month could change the course of this family’s life was simply amazing. 

 (Wendell, his mom and baby sister - Nicaragua)

I’ve heard it said quite recently on national television that America is not a compassionate nation.  Maybe that person was speaking for himself and the people he interacts with on a daily basis, but as for the people I choose to live life with, we understand that compassion isn’t a duty but a blessed choice.  It doesn’t take long for us as Americans to understand how much we are blessed.  No matter how much money you have or how many possessions you own, if you live a life of gratitude, you want to share.  There will always be someone who has more than you and always someone who has less.  Focusing on the less-fortunate will not only help the receiver but us as the givers.

Mia and I will be joining Selah and Compassion International over the next few weeks in encouraging people in a few different states to get out of their comfort zones, tackle the giants in their life that are holding them back from fulfilling God’s plan for them and hopefully motivating them through our own stories to seek God’s will and know that they are unconditionally loved by the Almighty Creator of the Universe. We even promise a couple of fun surprises along the way! 

This week’s motivation is simple: open your heart to generosity.

I Timothy 6:18-19 says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Your generosity can make a real difference!  Not just for the one you’re giving to but for your own life as well.  Don’t know where to start?

Here are a few wonderful charities I highly recommend.  These organizations give directly to a child and/or family in desperate need both here and abroad:

www.compassion.com

www.miamoo.org

www.timtebowfoundation.org

www.helponenow.org

www.wfrchurch.org/missions

Have a blessed week!