give it a thought

Between the madness of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, it's easy to get caught up in all of the excitement of being with family and friends, eating lots, then scoping out all the good deals in the ads and in the stores. Christmas has become a time when we get stressed out about buying the perfect gifts , and sometimes we lose sight of what this time really means. I was listening to the radio on my way home from work and they were having a conversation about Giving Tuesday that really hit me. 

There was a quote I heard that I loovee so I thought I'd share: 

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”  ― John Wesley

So what good can we do and what can we give in a generation that always seems to be indulging on one's desires and trying to obtain more and more "things?"

Give love. Give your time. Give your attention. Give your commitment. Give your trust. Give forgiveness. Keep your word. Give clothes you no longer wear to  Goodwill.  Give canned goods to the food pantry.  Give a smile. Give a hug. Give a kiss. Give a shoulder for someone to lean on when time's are hard. Give a second chance. Give until it hurts, then give some more. 

It doesn't have to be something material. I bet it'll feel even better if it isn't.

 Why do we struggle to give even the most basic things such as our attention, our love and our time? Why can't we put our phones or computers down for the evening to help at a local pantry?

Are we really that busy that we can't stop for just ten minutes to buy someone a cup of coffee and catch up on how they're doing?

Can we really not spend  a little while going through our closet to find something warm for someone who might not be able to keep warm this winter? 

Did someone do something so terrible that we can't fathom the thought of giving them another chance- at friendship, at love, at a job?  Do we really need to stay so focused on the mistakes of the past and what happened that we eliminate all chances of starting fresh?  

​Especially during this season- Jesus was sent to us to save us from our sins. He gave HIS life for us sinners. He knew we were going to mess up- alot. He knew we were going to be sinners, and fail Him a million times. Yet, He endured the cross and all of that pain for us. How can we not look past someone's mistakes then and start over? It might be something silly or it might be something that really hurt, but we all need a redo sometimes. We all make mistakes.  We all fall down and we all need a God whose love is unending, and we need to practice the love that he shows.  

We all need someone to give something to us. Whether that be a physical item or something that isn't touchable or that you can even see. What better time of year to really think about what you want to give this year.  Let's turn the tables from being more concerned about what we want, and lets focus  on making the world a better place. There's alot of bad things happening out there, but one small act could change someone's entire perspective, maybe even their life. Give it a thought. <3 

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