Ask God to Open Your Eyes

I walked into a Food Pantry in my hometown on a Tuesday.  And I was overwhelmed.  I walked back into the same place a week later and I was, for lack of a better word, overwhelmed again.

The first time I was there looking for a family or someone for our church to help at Christmas.  They had a list waiting for me. “It must be a God thing”, I was told as a group who was going to purchase gifts was “falling apart” and could not do it.  The lady from the former group had been in the food pantry on Friday and tearfully explained their dilemma.  They had 19 families with 54 gifts for the children to purchase.  That was a bit more than I anticipated so we decided on taking about 20 children, which were the infant to 6 year olds.  We would pray about the rest.  

Thanks to being able to email church members to help spread the word, it worked out and there was a lot of enthusiasm at our church to support the project.  Either individually or in groups we shopped and purchased all gifts for all the children.   Some people donated money and we had enough funds left over to purchase gifts for the adults in the families as well.  We received donations of wrapping paper and provided tape for the pantry to wrap the gifts.  We ended up with an extra girl’s gift about the age of 8-12 and brought it to the pantry, too.

The reason I’m writing this is not to say how wonderful we are for doing this.  It is to confirm that it is more blessed to give than receive.  A week later, from the time I walked into the pantry, my husband and I, having borrowed my brother’s van, delivered the boxes and bags of gifts for the families. We had our agenda, keep it orderly and organized, explain the packaging, and labeling.

But I am at a loss for words, as I did not expect to have delivered joy.

 

In our shopping and planning, we prayed the gifts would be received with gratitude and not entitlement.  It sounds sort of cold I suppose, but you know you don’t want people taking advantage of the system or our generosity.  Those ideas are now completely erased from my thought process. I am the one who should be ashamed for having even gone there but I have been renewed.  We were met at the door by two of the adult recipients.   We met two adults—not even the children—and they were beaming, they glowed and they thanked us.  The more they carried on, the larger the lump in my throat grew and my tears were ruining my makeup.  I  don’t remember being that grateful for a gift in a long time.  And they did not know what gift “they” were getting personally. 

One lady did not even sign up for the gifts, but the founder of the program signed up her and her son.  So until that day when we arrived, she was unaware anyone had thought of her.  I saw need up close, the need not to be forgotten, and I witnessed true gratitude and appreciation not for a measly gift but to matter.  All lives do matter!

A few years ago I saw a video clip of people in China receiving a shipment of Bibles.  The entire room full of people were sobbing and were without words.  Mind you, they did not open the Bibles, they were simply overjoyed at having for themselves the reality of God’s word in print.  We weren’t delivering Bibles but we were privileged to show His love.  When we dropped off the gifts, we got so much more in return.  I got to pray with the lady who had not signed up for the gifts and received a hug that will pull at my heart into eternity.  They had a young girl who just happened to need the “extra” gift we purchased.  It was no mistake, God makes no mistakes!

Through this experience, I received the greatest gift – I was completely moved.   God gave me this opportunity, He opened my eyes again.  Go out and find someone who will be a living memory for you this Christmas.  The need is there, keep your eyes open for it.