Helping others as your purpose for Lent

I was just reading a book called 'The Good Of Giving Up' by Aaron Damiani and he had some ideas for Lent that involved helping others.  He shared a story of a family who had an envelope labeled 'neighbor fund' that they put extra money in sacrificially through lent as they give up things.  Through Lent they look for opportunities to help someone out or 'make someone's day'.  They ask the Holy Spirit to guide them.

What a great example of another way we can bless others.  There is so much need out there we don't need to look very far.  And, it's giving what you can - even if it's not much. It still counts to make someone's day.

Ideas for your neighbors:

• Host them for dinner
• Give them a restaurant gift card
• Take a meal to a new mother
• Fund or contribute to a mission trip someone is going on
• Throw a party for someone who doesn't expect it
• Send flowers
• Sent a gift card for groceries anonymously
• Send someone a care package

Plus so many other things you could do.  I'd love to hear other ideas if you have them too - so please feel free to comment below.

Health insurance and help

In USA health insurance is costly and many families cannot afford it. So what often happens is if something happens to these families and they require emergency assistance - like a car accident or something - they are then all of a sudden hurled into a terrible situation of debt and debt collectors for money they have no chance in their lifetime of ever paying back.  Some people mortgage their homes or lose their homes and a whole lot of financial hardship follows.

I don't know if something is already set up but I know for a fact just looking on gofundme and sites like that - that there are families everywhere struggling with medical debt and ongoing expenses that they are unable to pay.  Often the survival of their loved one depends directly on finances.  

I don't know the solution for this but it breaks my heart that this is happening and that people get so stuck in situations they can't get out of.  It would be amazing if there was something set up to help people with medical and health costs.  Maybe this could be something set up in the community type setting of the church or similar.  

I know my nephew needs thousands a dollars a month to pay for his diabetes type 1 supplies, for example.  This is a huge struggle for his family and a massive burden.  How amazing it would be if someone in their community, who has more than enough, would offer to lift that burden from them and take care of that.  And in other communities where there are medical needs if others would step in to help.  It's overwhelming to think of but when it's broken down to communities, there are people in every community that are able to relive these burdens for these families.  

I guess it's not just about the ability to do something, its about the heart attitude in being WILLING to help others and step in when you are able.  A lot of time people dismiss it and keep to themselves, using the thought that it's none of my business even as an excuse.  Make it your business to help others and identify needs and you will be blessed beyond measure - the Bible promises it.

Supporting existing agencies that help

I'm not about reinventing the wheel here.  There are so many agencies that have been set up by people that are passionate about helping and serving.  Many times these places are just needing money to keep their vision alive.  In my mind these places are a great place to give, because you are empowering the vision of someone else to do what God has called them to do.  As I say this I think of people that work with rehabilitating homeless people and help them get on their feet. Oftentimes the people with the passion to help are people that were helped themselves in similar situations and really understand those people.  How great it would be to provide funding so more people can work there and help more people get back on their feet.

I think of the people that help prisoners released from prison who have fulfilled their terms of imprisonment and are let out with no where to go.  Oftentimes from what I've heard they are given a busy ticket and set of clothes and that's about it.  Where are they meant to go?  There are ministries set up to help these people and provide them with counseling and a place to live as they assimilate back into society and aim to live good lives.  I believe more of these ministries are needed.  But I would love to help fund more of these to be created.  These people coming out of prison are like blank canvasses given a fresh start - a clean slate and they often want to start afresh.  However if there is no where to go often they easily fall into living on the street and making money the only ways they know how from their previous life and before long they are back in the same place again.  How great it would be to have people who will fund these places. They need nice buildings to house these people and money to get them on their feet, money to pay the people who are giving themselves 24/7 to help these people too - as they need to live too.

There are the women's shelters that provide a place for women in violent situations to escape to.  They need buildings, beds, clothing, supplies for these type places.  Money to pay the staff so they can survive too.  Imagine if someone donated gift cards for these woman to have hair salon visits and spa days as treats,  if there was money to take them to buy some nice clothing and shoes that fit with advice from stylists.  This type of stuff works miracles for women self esteem. 

I feel so grateful for these people that set up things to help others.  It would be amazing if they could all be funded fully by people who want to invest in the lives of these people too.  

It's about imparting value.  Showing that someone cares and that their life matters to God and to others.  This all helps people's recovery and reintegration into society.  

I think of the agencies that deal with fostering children.  How amazing would it be to provide college funds for the foster children?  In their uncertain lives where sometimes they move around a lot they can have that surety of their future education.  I know that's just a tiny part of ways to help them but there is just so much need out there.  

What about couples that want to have children but haven't been able to, and yet they have no money to get fertility help as it's so expensive. Or the costs to adopt are so incredibly high they can't possibly reach them.   If there was a trust to help these people - how much blessing that would bring to their lives too.  I don't even know if there is an organization set up for this as yet...

Paying for education/ college funds

Another way I would love to bless people would be to pay off their student loans and set up a college fund for their children.  

I know that those two things weigh on many families these days. The parents are often overwhelmed with still paying off their own loans and then stressed out because they aren't able to put aside as much as they'd like, if anything, towards their children's college education.  This is important for American families in particular and rightly so.  An education guarantees you can have a good future.

How amazing would it be if, even in churches the wealthier members look out for the families with children and take care of the college funds and even relieve them of their debt.  Wow.  You know it's almost like unimaginable that people would do that.  How amazing though if things change and this actually starts to happen.  People start using their wealth to bless others and lift others up.  This is what God intended for that money that is being stored away by so many people who wrongly think their wealth is theirs and for them only.

Helping out in this area would be an amazing way to invest in future generations.  By taking care of the parents student loans, for example, frees up the parents from that stress of never ending debt and they can invest more into their children.  Giving for the children's education, brings peace of mind, again to the parents relieving stress and helping them be more present with their children now.  So much blessing from something so significant longterm.

Yes,  that is another thing I would love to do.  

A generous heart as a way of life

Being generous is something that should just flow from us. That we want to share the good things that God has given us. It's a form of stewardship that God desires from us, because everything we have is from Him anyway. 

I think the key to developing it in ourselves is to learn to be aware of those around us and constantly be on the look out for ways to bless others. Even if we don't have much.  For example:  If you go apple picking - give some of what you pick away to neighbors, to your pastor, to your friends.

If you go to visit someone or meet up with a friend always take something.  If you don't have much money, just offer some of something you have.  If you find a great deal on something when you are shopping - buy extra so  you have some to give.  If you bake a cake, make two and give one away.  If you make a batch of soap or can some fruit or vegetables - put aside some to give away. 

I really like what I've seen Pioneer Woman do at times.  If she buys herself a new handbag, she will host a giveaway for someone else to win the same bag too in whatever color they like.  If she gets more of her favorite cowboy boots, she will giveaway one or sometimes a few pairs to people who comment on her blog.  I really love this as it's recognising many others love what she loves but aren't in the same position as she is to buy it, so she is giving an opportunity to bless.  

Oh that we all had that mindset that we buy one for us and one for someone else to bless them.  When we have enough, that we share that enough with someone who doesn't have enough in this season.  We all go through seasons in life - some seasons are prosperous and some seasons are tough.  Understanding this and having an attitude of generosity and blessing others creates a flow in our lives, bringing more to us to give.  

Life is too short to hold onto things.  The blessing lies in giving.  So give freely and joyfully with no expectation from the receiver except that you want them to be happy and blessed.  This is what the Lord requires of us:  this is loving our neighbor as ourself.

Emergency Help for the congregation

At church this morning they announced they had set up a new ministry that is there to provide emergency help for members of the congregation.  The idea is that if something happens, they can provide interim relief until it can be sorted out property. The example given was if a tree falls on your house in the middle of the night, call them and they will come and help.  They won't remove the tree but will cover the roof and ensure you are safe. Or if your basement floods from a broken pipe they will help move your furniture while you call the plumber.  It's not necessarily to fix your problem as that is up to you, it is more to provide support during it and temporary assistance.

I was impressed.  As with this blog, that is something much on my mind.  The church is meant to be looking out for each other and helping each other out.  Yet so many churches, people walk by each other and have no idea if someone has enough food to feed their family or not.  And not even sure if they care.  I think there is to be a new awakening within the church, like the church of Acts, where believers gave generously to each other that everyone had enough.  Where we all look out for each other.  As the Bible says, it is more blessed to give than to receive.  For me, I LOVE to give!  It's fun to bless others.  

Emergency Cars for those in need

My husband and I were in a situation a couple of years ago where our car died.  It was winter and happened just before a huge dump of snow when we had no groceries in the house.  We tried to rent a car but they needed credit cards only to do it and our credit cards were full.  We were new to the area and didn't know anyone to help with no family nearby.  It was a horrible situation that somehow we made it through, thanks to a neighbors help.  We contacted churches at that time but nobody offered any help at all - even to get us to the rental car place to pick up a car.

Long story short, it got us thinking down the line of providing emergency cars for people in this kind of situation that the church's organize.  They can be older cars as long as they are functional and the idea is to help out people of the congregation (or community) if they get in a desperate situation and have no transport.  In our situation my husband just couldn't go to work till we sorted it all out. We had to try to find a car to buy using the rental car to get us around.  Fortunately it all timed when our tax refund came through so we had some money to buy another car.  

It's not a long term solution but it's something that can be worked with the people in need to make sure they can get groceries and get to work and MOST importantly get to where they need to go to get another vehicle.  We were in a catch 22 as you need a car to go buy a car even.  

I'm not sure exactly how it would work out but maybe it's just a matter of churches all having a car they are responsible for keeping as the emergency vehicle for their congregation.  Maybe in bigger congregations having two would be necessary.

I really hope that something like this can be set up.

Another thing regarding cars is when missionaries return, whether permanently or just back to do fund raising, it would be great to have a car that they can use while they are there or until they get set up.  Cars are expensive to buy initially and maintain and this type of thing can really help someone get established. I know, because someone did that for me once when I moved to a new place. I was able to borrow a car until I could get one of my own. It was the biggest blessing.

Tiny houses?

I wonder about the possibilities of making tiny style houses cheaply in well designed communities where you could offer them at rent to buy type options for struggling families.   People that would like a nice place to raise their children, but haven't got the money for it would really benefit.  You could have certain rules of the community, that if broken forfeit the process, of course. But you are really looking to provide a longer term solution for people to have something of their own to take care of.

Houses for many people these days are so out of reach.  And rental homes are expensive also and often really old and dated.  This would give people an opportunity to live somewhere nice and feel they can move forward in their lives.  I think there would need to be rules of upkeep also - an expectation that the property is well cared for also. You could provide a service that mows lawns and keeps the property tidy for a small price per month too.

I know being able to have a place of your own to call home would be the biggest blessing for so many people, including me.  I hope I can help to do this for people one day.

Paying it forward...

I loved that movie. I love the whole concept of paying it forward. It is soooo much how I am thinking. Let's bless others.  But what can we do?

Gift cards/certificates are an amazing way you can bless people.  Consider giving someone randomly any of these:

*  Visa or mastercard gift card

* Supermarket or grocery store gift card

* Gas station gift card

* Merry Maid or other home cleaning gift card

* Hair Salon gift card/ massage or day spa gift card.

* Lawn care or maintenance gift card

* Restaurant gift card.

I just think of all of the people living paycheck to paycheck. They don't have money for extras.  

Things they may have used to be able to afford, like for women - getting their hair done and maybe now with children and family life there is never money left over for that as it seems excessive when there is barely money for food. What a blessing to give that mother a treat like that where she can relax and feel normal even just for a moment.

Face it, none of us really know how anyone else is doing. We all put on a brave face before the world when many of us are crippled with debt, or hanging on by a string and no one even knows.  

How a lawn care or maintenance subscription for an older person with a yard would be a huge blessing to them - taking care of something they now have trouble doing themselves but can't afford help.   A cleaning gift card for home cleaning would be amazing for anyone - older people would love it, a new mother would love it, anyone would appreciate that I would imagine.

It's easy to take it for granted having money for groceries. I know we've had times when we've had no money for groceries in a week or more.  It's a scary place to live.  

If you're at a toll road - pay the people behind you.  If you're buying coffee or something take away - pay for the next person in line too.  

We need to realize we need to look out for others and use what we have to bless others - even if it's only a little. It's an attitude of heart to foster and it's important.

To the pastors and missionaries giving their all for others

This brings me to all those pastors and missionaries who have given up their 'normal' lives for a call they feel is far greater - to obey God and help others.  I have the highest respect for these people.  I know what it is like to walk that path as I walked it myself for many years being a missionary overseas.  I know the day to day struggle of not knowing where your rent money will come from or money for your groceries.  Of never being able to plan a vacation or something special because you just don't have the finances.  It's different from living pay check to paycheck because at least with paycheck to paycheck you can expect an amount on a certain date.  Living by faith can mean you don't know where your money will come from next.  It may be a random one off gift from a friend, or even from a stranger you meet and tell about what you are doing.  Nothing is certain except you know God will provide.

My heart goes out to pastors out there with families, knowing many Christians do not contribute to tithes and offerings.  The burdens and stress they are under as they try to make ends meet, some have to get other, outside work as well as working full time in ministry. This means they have less time with their families and less time to seek God and fulfill their call to the best of their ability because of this.  

Oh that God's people would freely give to those 'Levites' who are called to work full time for God. That they would have all their needs met and have an abundance so that they are free to enjoy their life without the stresses of lack.  

I think of a missionary who has given her life to work with people in Uganda.  Right now she desperately needs funds to provide fresh, clean water for the village.  The most basic of needs these people do not even have and yet we take for granted.

I would love to check on pastors in churches around me and make sure they have a car that is reliable and economical for them and comfortable.  Take care of any of their debts or student loans for them.  Bless them any other way I can with restaurant or food or gas gift cards.  Try to lift their burdens from them so they can bless others through their ministry moreso.

I would love to provide a fund to support missionaries regularly so that they have money they can count on coming in.  Or another option would be to provide a vacation/holiday fund for missionaries giving them a fully paid vacation for a period of time where they can relax and be blessed.  I would love to do the same for struggling pastors and their families.

I would love to provide college funds to pastors and missionaries so that their children can have a good education and take the pressure off their parents worrying about how that will work out.

To that family living in their car

My heart again is wrenched as I write this.  If I were not trapped in poverty myself I would have acted.  My husband actually was the one who witnessed this.  It was a man with a child walking to a car.  When he opened up the trunk it was obvious to my husband that this family lives in this car.  They were obviously struggling in life.  They had a child also with them.

So often my husband and I say that if we had money we would love to sit in the parking lot in Walmart and look for the families that are struggling like this one.  What a blessing it would be for them if someone noticed them and offered to help them.  Take time to find out what's going on and help them to find a solution to get them on their feet again.  No person should have to live like that.  Yet for them to get out of it by themselves is pretty much impossible. People get trapped in their circumstances and often in vicious cycles.

I would look for the young families with beaten up cars too.  How much they would love to have a newer car or an SUV or something more practical  and much more reliable with children. Something safe for them and their children too.  Not just young families, I know there are others struggling desperately needing a better car also.

I would love to buy Walmart/gas/food or other gift cards and just give them out randomly to others, telling them that God sees and God cares for them.

I would love to just randomly pay people's grocery bills at the checkout.

To be honest, this awareness once more comes from our own pain.  I've been there, I know what an absolute miracle and blessing it would be if someone were to do any of the above for us.  And I see so many others struggling too.  I dream of the day when we have a nicer car, a car that is reliable and doesn't break down at the worst of times.  Things that make people's lives easier and happier - that's what I would want to do for others.

This one goes out to April

Not long ago, we were driving into town for something and on the side of the road was a young girl with a sign saying 'Hungry, Broken'.  My heart went out to her so we stopped the car when we could. We had been given some food vouchers from church and we had a $10 one left.  We decided we would give it to this girl.

I walked over to her and she crossed the road and introduced herself to me.  Her name is April.  She had fallen into bad circumstances and lost her apartment.  Someone had stolen her phone.  She lost her job.  Just one thing after another.  Now she was stuck with no where to live, no family around, she couldn't get a job because that required a shower and a phone and an address -- all of which she didn't have.  She didn't know what to do. She was scared. She had found a group to stay with - she said they slept under the bridge.  I gave her the voucher and told her I so wished I had more to give her. She hugged me and said thank you so much.  I told her I want to make some calls to see if I can find her somewhere to sleep.  Getting back to the car I burst out crying for her.  I so wanted to help her. 

I called many places and left messages but no replies.  I looked up shelters to find out the beds for that night were all taken.  Our bank account had $50 left and that's it. My husband is out of work and that was what was left of the student loan.  We decided we would go and find April and offer to pay for one night at a hotel, and then come and get her in the morning and find her some help.  I went back to find her and we drove back and forth, we asked others where she was originally and they sent us in one direction.  I was so upset. We never found her.  We searched up roads, around bridges, everywhere we could think of. I have no idea where she went?  We went back the next day and this time I had printouts of shelters and the times she has to get there for a bed, places she can shower and get help to get off the streets. Loads of information. Some clothes, some food.  Again, we drove around and around and there was no sign of any of them.  We went again another time... and another time.  I never saw April again.

Yet I am thankful I met her as it brought the whole homeless situation to my attention.  There are not enough beds!  No person should have to sleep under a bridge or in the bushes, so vulnerable not just to the weather but also to predators. 

One thing I would love to do if I had the money would be to finance more shelters and beds.  Fund more people to work with these people and help them out of the situation they got stuck in. Give them hope and training and set them up with somewhere to live and a job and the way to exist.  It is the worst feeling in the world to be stuck and feel that no one even cares.  

I would also want to set up a trust of some kind to help with finances to supply food, clothing, essentials  these people need to get back on their feet again.

I hope and pray April found her way out. I so much wanted to help her more and hate that she was left by herself and alone out there. There are many other April's out there crying out for someone to care.  Let's help them however we can with whatever we have to give.

Introduction to this Blog

I am starting this blog because I want somewhere to log all the ideas my husband and I get of ways that we see from day to day to help people.  We see so much need everywhere we look and it is heartbreaking.  My hope is that one day we will have a LOT of money and work our way through all of these ideas.

So many people these days are so caught up in their own lives to look around them.  To see the daily struggles of others just trying to make it through the day.  This blog is dedicated to those people, the ones who feel invisible in their struggling. The ones crying out to God for help day after day.  The homeless people who fell into bad circumstances trapping them in a place they don't want to be.  The husband working two jobs and still not making enough for his family to live beyond pay cheque to pay cheque.

I confess I have been one of those people who's first thought when seeing someone with a sign on the side of the road was 'why doesn't he go and get a job instead of standing there?'.  I was so convicted of how heartless that is. Who am I to judge any person? I have not walked in their shoes. I have no idea of the tragedies and heartbreaks and things that have brought them to this place.  And the humiliation they must feel having to stand and ask people for money is just another whole level of humanity altogether.

Bad things can happen to ANYONE.  ANYONE.  They are not always a result of bad decisions or choices - but even if they are - who are we to judge?  We all make bad decisions and choices.   If you have ever been in that place where you were trapped with no way out in a bad situation - you will understand.  I have.  And I am glad now for that suffering which has taught me mercy, compassion and stripped me of my quick to judge attitude.  I am that person who has lived paycheck to paycheck. I know how it feels to never feel you can get ahead, that your dreams are just out of reach.

While I am still in that place, I believe things can change in a moment.  And when they do, I will have this blog to come back to where I want to start helping others get out of this situation too.  It feels impossible right now but it will happen, of that I am sure.  So for now I dream big and await the provision to put this in action.

I welcome your contributions also. Thank you for reading this.