“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” — William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice).

 Giving of your time, talents, and resources is always important. It is the “outward” face of the Christian—reflecting the face of God.

No other time is it more important to reflect His Face for the world. Giving is a gift—and it just makes you feel so good.

Don’t know what to give or how to do it?

Here are a few examples of great giving—not all possible during a pandemic, but great examples for priming the pump:

From Pennsylvania:  “My husband is a Vietnam veteran. He belongs to a group that meets for breakfast every Thursday morning at a local restaurant. Since we have been asked to stay home and all restaurants and bars are closed except for takeout, the Vietnam veterans’ organization that he belongs to has devised a way for the men and women who usually attend the breakfast to donate tips that will be sent to the waitresses that take care of them on Thursday mornings. These men and women who served our country are continuing to serve their community.” Source (The Lily)

Nigeria is a long way from the Baltimore suburb of Bel Air. Which is why Felicia Ikpum hadn’t seen her son Mike Tersea for four years, ever since he’d left Nigeria on a basketball scholarship to John Carroll School. But with his graduation from John Carroll looming, Tersea’s teachers and classmates thought his mother should be at the ceremony. “We wanted to do something valuable for one of our classmates,” Joe Kyburz, the senior-class president, told The Baltimore Sun. Knowing Ikpum couldn’t afford the plane ticket or hotel, the school raised $1,763 to bring her over. What was her reaction when she laid eyes on her son after four years? “I screamed, I shouted!” Source: The Baltimore Sun.

For 34 years, LouAnn Alexander worked as a flight attendant. But at the age of 58, she received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Soon, the vivacious mother of two and grandmother-to-be was making plans for hospice care. Her older brother Rex Ridenoure was flying to see Alexander when he asked the flight attendant—an old colleague of Alexander’s, as it turned out—if he could speak to the passengers. He talked about his sister, even passed his phone around the plane so they could see photos of her. He then handed out napkins and asked if they’d write a little something for Alexander. Ninety-six passengers responded. Some drew pictures. One man and his seatmate created flowers out of napkins and swizzle sticks. But mostly, there were warm words: “Your brother made me love you, and I don’t even know you.” And “My favorite quote from when I had two brain tumors: ‘You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.’” Alexander died in April 2016, but Ridenoure never forgot the compassion shown that day. “I’m just amazed that given the opportunity, even total strangers will reach out and show a lot of empathy and concern,” he said. Source: The Arizona Republic

Grandpa loves Lucy Rose: Four-year-old Lucy Rose Donmoyer of East Arlington was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that is hard to treat and was admitted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville. Her grandfather Scott Jernigan of Tallahassee drove to Jacksonville as soon as he found out but could not visit her because of COVID-19 restrictions. His daughter, Jessica, Lucy’s mother, put a heart sign in the window of Lucy’s room so he would know where she was, and the next morning he bought material to make his own sign: a giant heart he put on the outside of the hospital’s P2 garage. Every morning Lucy woke up and first thing she wanted to see was that heart to know Grandpa was there. A friend from Tallahassee made a rose sign for Lucy’s middle name, so Grandpa put that up, too. She recently completed her first round of chemotherapy and went home to a welcome parade. Source Palm Beach Daily News 

"I want to create a long overdue post in praise of the wonderful Flo Osborne.”

Flo is 89 years young and lives in Sheltered accommodation in Dovercourt. During lockdown and beyond in her tiny kitchen on several occasions Flo has cooked up to 20 wonderful fruit or meat pies (well over 100 in total ) for us to distribute amongst the vulnerable and elderly through our NEST /Harwich community centres hot meals service.

Every pie is made from scratch, the pastry mixed and rolled the fruit prepared and then cooked in her tiny oven. This is, I believe a remarkable act of community kindness, also a huge victory over age and supposed infirmity. Source: Sharing is Caring Sweden 

Take your candle, and go light your world!

Peace and Joy!
Lisa