Sharing the Richness in Our Hearts

     And He gives us richly all things to enjoy!!!! Last night when I was driving home from our Thanksgiving gathering, I was reflecting on what has transpired, who was there and the general time we shared. One word came to my mind-Rich. God has provided for me some people in my life in my husband's family who I like very much, even have come to love over the past 41 years, and I am rich because of it. As I told you before, whenever I think of my blessings in this way, guilt wants to creep in. Not the kind where I did something wrong, but the kind where I have something, and I know many in the world do not. I realize at the same time, though, that I cannot truly let my gratitude flow back to God if I feel this way, so I try to fight it.
     It seems like my blessings, if just endeared to my own heart and just stay there, go sour on me. We are made to be flowing vessels. But how can I "give" the experience I had on Thanksgiving away to anyone? I mean it was mine, and the day is gone. It's over and done with. Or is it? Could it be that God gave me that rich day to be planted in my heart to reflect on how good it feels to be surrounded by loving people, so that I can be that person in another's life under different circumstances? I think it's good to be aware of what we have, and what other's don't and give ourselves and our resources away to the less fortunate as God directs.
     The past few years God has blessed our family after decades of struggling to survive, as it felt. (When I say that, I realize that our struggling was really nothing compared to what many struggle with in the world.) But, by many standards here in America, we struggled financially, emotionally, and obviously spiritually. We tried to make it in our own strength because we didn't know the Lord then, and failed. He used these failures, though, to cause us to call out to Him, so they certainly served a good purpose.
     Overtime, when He brought salvation to each and every person in our family, we would reach out to others with our new found faith, and give of ourselves. It's not that our financial status had improved at this time, but we wanted to share the good news of Jesus to those we saw around us who seemed like they needed to know Him. That was one of the richest times of my life! We served as a family in outreach to others.
     As I stated, a few years ago, our finances improved greatly from an unexpected source. My husband and I have continued to share our resources with the needy, and even more so than we were able to before, but I'm wondering if we have gotten more distant in one on one contact than we had before. Looking back at Thanksgiving yesterday and the rich time I had just being together, I am thinking that love is a better gift than money.(although needed) I don't want to be distant from the poor and needy by giving them a check or money, and then not be available to them one on one. I want more, and know that they need more from me, than a "paper relationship." How stale and dry is money without love? Jesus said we could give all our money to the poor, and if we didn't have love it is all nothing! That really says it all. Just ask any child whose Dad gives them everything they want, and is never there for them. They will tell you about how shallow and hurtful the payoff is.
     So, I am thankful for yesterday and the rich day I had, but I'm also going to ask God to help me be aware of those in my world, and outside my world, (if that is how He leads me) who need the richness of the love He's put in my heart to give away. I'm going to ask Him to help me be brave to act on it, and begin again to relate to those love-hungry hearts each and everyday.