of a pure heart…
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts
into the temple treasury.
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper
coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than
all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she
out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4
This past week my team was challenged by our friend and
pastor, to press into the idea of giving, what does the Bible say about giving,
what is giving, and why do we give?
As I’ve meditated on this idea…I believe that giving can
take many forms
…TIME
…MONEY
…TALENTS
…WISDOM
…A SMILE
but do we really live as though that were true in our lives? This year I’ve
been very challenged, sometimes quite selfishly I think well Lord I already
gave up a year of my life for this trip…why would you ask me to give anything
else up? T
he truth though is that this trip is nothing if I do not GIVE my
entire life to Jesus…all that makes up ME: Carly Anne Cronin is His…He created
me in my mother’s womb, really though He did
n’t just create me, He created the
entire WORLD and keeps it spinning in the palm of His Hand.
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7
it all truly belongs to HIM?
with a 12 year old orphan named Joseph. As we walked we talked and took
pictures (he’s a very talented photographer!), he told me how he came to the
home when he was only 1 year old and had no parents and no future. He has now been
at the children’s home for almost 10 years and it has become his community, he
loves it. He is now in class 6 (6th Grade equivalent) and studies
hard because he wants to become a doctor someday! I had such a great time
hanging out with him and his friends; I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget
his smile or his laugh. As we were getting ready to leave and head back to our
home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this young boy had a bright future and
needed to be reminded that he was valuable in God’s kingdom. I looked down at
my wrist and saw my threads of hope bracelet that I’ve been wearing since
before The Race began, I took it off and put it on Joseph’s wrist. I know it
was a very small gift and honestly probably smells a bit after 6 months on The
Race, but when he put it on his face lit up in a huge smile. I know that this
small gift meant everything to him because for that moment he was special, he
knew he was valued and that God loved him immensely. Please join me in praying for
Joseph, pray that he stay strong in his faith, that he not succumb to peer
pressure as a teenager, and that he continue to study hard
so he can become an incredible
doctor someday!
GiViNg
when done out of love for our Savior…is WoRsHiP
…Sunday
morning offering plate
…Hanging
out in the Hospital praying for the sick and discouraged
…Supporting
local and international missions
…Feeding
the hungry and homeless
…Speaking
truth and life over your friends and family
with a glad and thankful heart to our Abba Daddy in Heaven…it’s WORSHIP at it’s
finest
be here on The Race. I truly believe that this year is shaping the lifestyle I
want to have no matter where my long term location ends up being. Today my team
had the opportunity to go to a local hospital and pray for the patients and
their families offering encouragement and hope into tough situations. Wow…let
me tell you I went into the day a little weary and nervous…honestly I was afraid
I wouldn’t know what to say or it would be really uncomfortable. I couldn’t
have been more wrong. The entire experience was amazing, we just went in and
introduced ourselves, had good conversations and prayed for people. I couldn’t shake
the thought in my head, “why have I never done this at home?”
Honestly it was not weird or awkward or uncomfortable, it was very refreshing actually
to just share life and offer hope to people whoneeded it most.
Why don’t we
take an afternoon or a few hours or a lunch break and go visit the hurting, sick,
and forgotten? It doesn’t have to be as big of a deal as we’ve been lead to
believe that it is, why cant it become a norm for us to do as Jesus taught…to love
the poor, to comfort the sick, and to help the widows and orphans? This is not
just an idealistic pondering of a wandering missionary…this is a real question
for real people in the real world…
“When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly
glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the
people from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will
put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to
those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For
I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and
you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came
to visit me’.” Matthew 25:31-36
