Blessed to Be a Blessing

A co-worker, Penny, resolutely states that we are blessed to be a blessing.  I couldn't agree more.  I used to wonder why I was born into the family I was in, instead of a remote, far-off place.  Why I lived a cushy U.S. middle class life.  Sure, I've had my fair share of struggles.  As a farm family, some years my dad had a good crop, while other years it did poorly.  I remember times when the crop was so bad that we made more money off the insurance, than we did the crop itself.  But, my parents never focused on the money, or lack of it.  Whether we had a good crop or a poor one, that didn't change things.  My parent's still extended hospitality.  They still served.  They still gave financially to help others.  And I'll carry this model with me throughout the rest of my life.

As Christians, think of all the spiritual blessings we have been given:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding....  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:3-8, 13b-14).

The blessings I have received in Christ make me want to, in turn, be a blessing to others.  I have a King, who died on the cross so I could have life.  I, too, want to extend life and hope to the people around me.
                                                                                                                                                              For some people, God has granted them with extra wealth and material possessions.  To coincide with this, He's gifted them with the special task of being wise stewards of their resources--of using what they've been given to better and bless someone else.  "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:).  "If it is serving, let him serve" (Rom. 12:7a).  "If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously" (Rom. 128b).  "Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality" (Rom. 12:13).  These are all practical, straightforward verses.                                                                                                                                    
I went to the National Alliance to End Homelessness website and looked at their latest stats on my city, Omaha, Nebraska.  As of early this year, there was an estimate of 1,580 homeless people in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.  I then checked out the Children's Defense Fund site and got the most current info on children.  Did you know that, as of January 2012, there were 32,591 children living in extreme poverty in Nebraska?  Without much effort, I'm sure I could easily find stats on many other things, as well.  But, that's not my point.  My point is that there are needs all around us.  It couldn't get easier to find ways to be a blessing.  All we need to do is to have our eyes and ears open.  Ask God to bring some needs to you!                                                                                                                                                           
Within CFCI, most of my time is spent with the Urban Plunge program.  Today, however, I would like to share with you two different ways that you can be a wonderful blessing to others.

• Do you love shoes?  How about helping to provide some school kids with some new shoes!  CFCI's San Diego base is collecting shoes for at-risk children.  Go to our Causes page to get the info on how you can get involved.                                                                                                                   

• One of CFCI's ministries is Renacer--a rehabilitation ministry for street girls living in Costa Rica.  Renacer is building a new dormitory to be able to help more girls get off the streets and find the love of Jesus Christ.  The facts can be found on the Causes page.

Do either of these needs excite you?  We would love to have you get involved!

Be blessed,

Julie