Sharing what you have this holiday season

I know you haven't heard from me in over a week.  Sorry.   I've been milling around a lot of junk up in the head.  Now junk can be good...one man's garbage is another man's treasure...right?  :)  I also took a couple of days off to prepare a talk about networking for a FABULOUS group of women (check us out on FB Influential Women to get connected) But seriously, I needed to "sift through the rocks and see what was gold."  So what you have below is more of a "dim sum" meal more than anything... a menu to read through and pick what speaks to you most today.  I pray that this post will contain one small nugget that will satisfy your heart and soul!

I don't know about you.... but it seems like the end of Fall seems to run right into the Holiday season like a charging bull.  Halloween is one of those holidays that just seems to be "way off in the distance" and then wha-bam...its upon you like a frenzy of awakened cave bats!  You finally toss out the pumpkin the day before you buy a turkey... you give thanks and then set your alarm to beat out every other joe for a Black Friday deal.  (Irony anyone?) But it's not just the holidays that start to come at you fast and furious, because let's face it, the holiday season is no surprise to us.... it is all of those little "extras" that seem to increase every year:

• End of the sport season's coach gifts, trophies, awards and party celebrations...cha-ching.
• Everybody is hosting a food drive.. football teams, girl-scouts, grocery stores, pre-school... every event needs a couple of cans of food... cha-ching.
• Holiday "giving trees" start to pop up everywhere.... and I mean everywhere!  Adopt a family, grab a gift card, fulfill a wish.... cha-ching.
• Hostess gifts, teacher gifts, mailman gifts, front-office gifts, even milk-man gifts??... cha-ching.
• Oh, and did I mention St. Nicholas still needs to visit your own house?

No wonder some of us have such a "keep it" mentality with our finances and possessions... it's like our purses are continually subject to swiping by so many different causes and occasions!  I know one family who just shelled out nearly $200 at the end of the football season by time they were done with tournament fees, trophies, DVD's, coach gifts and an end-of-the-year celebration.  Shut the front door, folks... we are headed for a tail spin!  

Now, if I can just call everyone out... I know what you might be thinking... choose one or as many apply to your head right now....

1. Uh.... nobody said you have to partake in all of those things...that is CRAZY!
2. Crickey you cheapskate... all of these things are important and for good causes..cough up some dough!
3. Ummmm...aren't you the one always spouting "We are blessed to be a blessing???"  
4. I totally agree with you... I can't catch a breath from all the money I'm doling out!

What to do...what to do...what to do.....

READ.

READ ACTS 2:44-2:47.  (Pssst...that is in your bible... or even quicker...click here)

And since half of you didn't... here it is for you anyway...

"And all the people met together in one place and shared everything they had.  They sold their property (extra stuff they don't use) and possessions and shared the money with those in need.  They worshipped together in the Temple each day (practical adaptation is to be giving thanks for all you DO have), met in homes for the Lord's supper (have some friends over!) and shared their meals with great joy and sincere hearts... ALL the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people......"  (emphasis and additional commentary mine.)

Okay... I want to just highlight 2 parts that really hit me over the head this morning...and I've read this passage many times before; quite honestly I didn't let much of it sink in because I thought to myself, "Oh Erin... let's skim over this because I don't want to expose a part of my heart and open up the door for God to say, 'ERIN, SELL EVERYTHING YOU OWN AND LIVE IN A BOX, DRESSED IN BURLAP SO THAT EVERYONE ELSE CAN ENJOY A HOME, AND CLOTHES, AND HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET.'"

I mean, burlap just makes me look so pale.  :)

Seriously, I just had always been scared that what God was trying to say is that I should give away everything because there are others in need.  What took me awhile to re-learn is that God wants to bless us (because lets face it, living in a box will not demonstrate that we have Christ in us)..but he also calls us to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.  And here is where it gets tricky.... we are not in that judge's seat to decide who got themselves into that space because of bad choices or laziness...or who is truly in need.

Okay.. so my second realization of that passage is this...when God writes "share everything they had," he's not just talking about material possessions... cars, boats, coats, cashola, toys, computers... you know, all the stuff that you can't fit in your coffin or take up to heaven... (ahhh, convicting, eh?)  What God is ALSO including here is the God-given talents and abilities he's equipped you with.  Hold on, I'm going to write that again because if you don't get this, you're going to stress yourself out this Holiday season....

Sharing what you have includes your God-given talents and abilities he created inside of you.

Great news!  This means that not only do you have really cool things that just come naturally to you, but you are serving people and meeting needs when you donate your talents!  For some of us, it is hosting people.  Others can create an amazing photo-book or poster for our sports teams to avoid costly trophies and medals that you just end up dusting!  Some make a scrumptious pot of soup for a family who has lost their job or is recovering from surgery.  Others can "organize" or "create" a helping opportunity and are good at networking or recruiting a group to get the job done.  Maybe you are super good at couponing... so you can donate $100 worth of food to a food drive for $20!  

So here's our takeaway from today's dim-sum collection of food (hopefully wisdom):

1. We all have something we can give.  Some of us can write big checks and we should... especially when we realize that God has gifted some of us with finances so that we can equip others with our money.  Let's face it...sometimes it truly takes plain old cash to ship stuff around the world, fill a delivery truck with gas, pay the heat at a shelter, etc.
2. But it doesn't stop with big checks... little checks work well too.  $5 makes a huge difference because the collective power of 100 of us doing that suddenly creates $500 for an organization.  We have to stop thinking that "my $5" doesn't matter.... the bible says that the woman who gave her 2 mites was just as important... because she gave what she could.  Your $5 could be the last $5 they need to purchase an additional ______.
3. Everyone has something in their home they don't need.  Is it an extra blanket?  That coat that was "so expensive" you just can't bear to part with it but lets face it, you haven't worn it in 6 years?  (As my mom would say, "honey, it's not coming back in style.")  Donate it.  Craig's List something for goodness sake, and donate the money or use the $$ to buy all those 1/2 off Old Navy coats on sale and then donate those!
4. Use your talents and give this year... organize a coat or blanket drive in your neighborhood... I find a personal "ask" goes a long way and yields higher results.  Or offer to collect everyone's $5 at the bus stop or the lunchroom at your office and go fulfill a couple of items on the giving tree for your group.  Go sign up to sort items at a food bank.  Donate some hand-made Christmas tags or cards to an organization so they can distribute them to their program participants.
5. Stop the cash-cow madness and donate in someone's name this year.  When we realized as a family that we were just "buying to buy" for our relatives, we started donating to World Vision in family member's names.  While I am sure teachers and coaches love some of their Christma gift "treasures", I know we have received many thanks for donating to a local cause in their name as well.

In the end... we all have a place in our heart that bleeds for the less fortunate.  I am not in the position to judge how they got there, but I am in the position to give.  The coolest part about it...is that I cannot out-give my God.  When I give out of a sincere heart (and not out of guilt or coercion) then I find that I am truly blessed with warm fuzzies just as much, if not more, than the person who receives it!  It is as if the deepest part of my soul gets filled with that warmth that we can only find when we stop fulfilling our own desires and take our time and resources to fulfill someone else's.

So hey.... what's one great idea you have to take care of the less fortunate?  Please share it by posting a comment!- I know it takes just a minute to register to be able to post but once you do, take a second to "subscribe" so you can get new blog posts right in your inbox... that way you'll never miss one!  Fellow readers want to hear your brilliant ideas!