This past week has been a blessing. It’s been packed busy with work, phone calls, and support letters. My normal schedule involves going to bed at 10pm and waking up at 6am. This week, however, I was up past midnight every night and awake in the morning between 5am and 5:30am. Who knew it would take hours to address and pack envelopes? Not me. Not only did I spend about a week writing this letter, wanting to convey my heart on a piece of paper to people that have impacted my life over the years, but I also spent hours finding a print shop, collecting addresses, cutting, folding, sizing, stuffing and stamping!
Sound stressful? It was, at first. So why would I say this week has been a blessing?
At the beginning of the week I started my Fundraising Training course that is required of all Racers. To be completely honest, I wasn’t thrilled about it. I’ve fundraised before. I’ve spent the last few months researching fundraising ideas and techniques online. I’ve got this!
Well, to my surprise, these lessons are not filled with typical fundraising ideas or techniques. They don’t talk about how to write letters, sell t-shirts, or sing songs at church. Instead, the instructors brought me back to the heart of fundraising. To the truth that God is the one doing the work, not me. “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17a). And so, in reading about how God uses fundraising to show His goodness, His faithfulness, and His love, my mindset for the week changed.
I am learning that God uses fundraising to build community. It gives us the opportunity to take something important to us (in this case, money) and use it for a bigger purpose than ourselves. The reason we use the word “partnership” when talking about fundraising is because that’s exactly what it is. Not only is the person receiving the gift blessed, but also the giver, because in donating they are becoming a part of something spectacular. I am just beginning this journey and have already seen how this experience is strengthening the community in my life.
I have been blessed in the conversations I have had over the past two weeks. Not only with my family and friends, but also with complete strangers. I have appreciated some much needed help from some wonderful people, whether that be friends or store employees. I have found some bargains fall into my lap when I didn’t know how I was going to afford even these letters. I have had wonderful friends put up with my OCD questions like, “Does this look right? Does this sound right?”. And, in realizing all of this, instead of being annoyed when I looked at my stack of papers left to finish, my hand cramping up, and time seemingly running out, I began to sing and pray over each person and family. I decided to let this process be a gift rather than a chore.
Not only have I accomplished the task of sending out my letters, but I have also found and purchased my pack!!
I was not expecting to purchase my backpack until a few months had gone by. I went into the store to get fitted for one so that I could better budget, and there it was; exactly what I need and ON SALE!!! (love me a good bargain!)
God has already been working in my life in big ways over these past few months and I am so excited to see what He has in store for the next few!! If He will bless me with things as small as paying for postage, and finding the perfect backpack, how much more will He bless me in the big things!
