The Gift of Giving

Four months ago Bryan and I made a decision to give up disposable diapers and go all cloth for the cause of giving more to others. We've done this very successfully, even though there have been those days when I would rather just throw a diaper in the trash instead of washing it. We've kept our focus and feel as though God has seen us in this.

This last weekend was one of those memorable experiences that I'll always remember. We were given a really nice infant car seat, twin bed & mattresses, sit n' stand stroller, video baby monitor, and tons of clothes in both maternity and toddler. It was overwhelming that several people just began to give, give, give to us out of nowhere! I hadn't been overly worried about having a 3rd baby and what all that would entail, okay that's a lie. I was a little worried. I knew that we needed another twin bed for Hope and that an infant car seat and stroller were not going to be cheap, even used. My mind would start spinning when I would think of it all. I knew that God saw us and that we would be just fine.

"You can never out give God", my mom might say. I say that once you take giving as a core value in your life that the doors of blessings are open wide to you. This is the time of year that we all tend to think more about giving. This year we may feel like we don't have the extra to give. But, that is the entire point. Giving isn't giving unless it is accompanied with a slight fear or sacrifice. It is through that outstretched hand that you become more in tune with others, faith, and the spirit in which Jesus is talking about in Matthew.

Matthew 34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.

When I started washing those diapers every other day and learning how to cloth diaper, I didn't think about what I was going to get in return. I never once thought about all that God was going to bless me with. I was just so excited to be able to give more and do more because of this sacrifice that I was making. With the holidays coming up, I'm thinking we can do more. There is always more.