the look around

as you might be able to confirm after this week, we're totally into giving. we always want it be a large part of our lives. we want to trust God for his provision, and we want to give more than we're always comfortable with. 

this week has been a great reminder for me to give even more. [for example, i'll confess that while we decided to give monthly to exodus cry, i didn't actually do it until i sat down to write the blog about it.] it was encouraging to see so many comments and so much excitement about giving. i truly hope i've encouraged you to think more about how you can contribute to causes that you find worthy.

but this week, i was challenged to write about one of the pitfalls i fall into when it comes to money. 

sometimes, it's really easy to just write a check and wash your hands. 

being generous is a discipline in a lot of ways, and i think bryan and i have become pretty disciplined about it. and in that way, i have this tendency to think very logically about giving money, rather than being heartfelt and moved. does that make sense?

i guess what i'm saying is that there are often times when needs arise, and my first tendency is to say, well, let's write a check. it's not to pray for the person in need. it's not to bring them dinner and see how they are doing. it's not to seek to understand why they are in need. my solution is cold hard cash and often, that's exactly what it is: cold. removed. even haughty. 

that's one reason why i love compassion. they make it virtually impossible to just give money. they practically shove it down my throat that i should be praying for and writing letters to the child we support. it's not just money that she needs, it's love and support and letters and jesus. 

so my challenge for you today, but mostly for myself, is to do "the look around." what are the needs around you? the needs that might be a little messy and emotional and hard to meet? the needs that may take more money, more time, more stress than you're willing to give? 

how can you contribute?

maybe it's helping the homeless in your area. maybe it's visiting someone you don't even know in the hospital because she has no one else visiting her. maybe it's letting someone borrow your car. maybe it's buying someone lunch and listening to where they're at. maybe it's serving someone who doesn't deserve it. maybe it's helping someone with their finances. maybe it's making a meal for someone without a real support system. maybe it's organizing all of your friends to make a big difference to a women's shelter. 

it could be a lot of things. today, i'm going to do the look around here in iowa city and find out. 

this week, i'm giving away five handmade crafts from lullabies for africa! 

and i've saved the best for last. this cute little thing is a reusable coffee cup sleeve! instead of using the paper ones that come around your cup at the coffee shop, slide this thing on and you're good to go! 

simply leave a comment on this post if you'd like to win this coffee sleeve!

i'll randomly select the winner at the end of the week!