I think, sometimes, I make giving too hard!
I am driving and I see someone holding a sign or asking for money.
Do I stop?
Do I give them money?
The problem is that in the quick moment that this happens, I don’t have time to think. And so fear becomes the predominant thought.
Am I supporting their bad habits if I give them money?
Is it dangerous to roll down my window?
As I said, fear—and maybe some justification on why I shouldn’t act.
But, something I read about last year made me pause and think, “Am I making giving too hard?”
What made me think this was a blog post I saw about a woman who said that she has learned to put together “giving bags” and keep them in the car for these very moments.
She takes a large, gallon-sized zip-top bag and inside she places items that you can get in nearly any big box or dollar store - gloves, a hat, hand sanitizer, small treats, etc. She also tucks a five dollar bill inside. When she sees someone who is homeless, she hands them a bag, and this small gesture lets them know that someone cares about them and is thinking of them.
So easy, right? And, so thoughtful. Also, if you want to be safe, you don’t need to roll your window down all the way (if you truly feel unsafe, I would still move on).
So this is one of my goals for this month—to make giving bags to keep in my car. I plan to have fun with it and also plan to find some small New Testament books or scripture passages to add.
This really has just started my juices flowing. How else can I make giving easy? What situations do I walk away from in the moment instead of planning ahead to meet?
One woman in our community wanted to make giving to our local food pantry easy. So, she went to our local grocery store and asked if they would, on a certain day each week, ask shoppers if they would like to “round up” adding cents to their bill which would go to the food pantry. And, those cents have really added up! Thousands of dollars have been given!
This is a great example of giving that is easy—and is multiplied.
How do you plan your giving so that it is easy and meaningful?
Share your ideas!
Peace and Joy!
Lisa