I thought this was a perfect opportunity to involve my sixteen year old developmentally delayed daughter in ministry. So together we personally delivered bags to all the neighbors on our court and explained that we would come around on her OSU Buckeye golf cart later in the week to pick up bags at a designated time period if they wanted to participate.
I was so pleased that every neighbor we were able to make that personal connection with chose to participate with at least one full bag of collection items. And I enjoyed teaching my daughter about working hard to help others, to the extent that she understood what we were up to. I felt the generosity not only with my neighbors' giving, but with their support for my daughter. Yet I also reflected on how easily I filled up a couple of bags with items I already had in abundance in my own home. It didn't feel generous on my part at all.
At the festival, a free ice-cream treat was given to all who contributed. There was also a food truck, inflatable games, volleyball, a GaGa ball pit, and other yard games for entertainment. Once again I noted how many of us give out of our abundance, yet we are even entertained for doing so. Nothing was wrong with this; part of the information attached to the bags invited folks from the neighborhood to come to the festival, a positive outreach effort, and also a good opportunity to hang out together as a church family.
One ministry partnership struck me, though (see photos above). One of the collection items was plastic grocery bags which would be taken to a women's prison. Women, many of whom will be spending the rest of their lives incarcerated, cut the bags into strips, tie them together, and roll them into balls, like yarn. From these balls, they weave "blankets" that are delivered to the Dream Center where they are given away to those in need in the inner city. It gives these women purpose and an opportunity to serve and give to others.
One thousand bags donated out of our abundance to weave one blanket to create purpose in one life to help keep someone in need stay warm. To me, this was the diamond in the rough, the ministry closest to the heart of God in this event.
And this month I plan to think more about what giving...and generosity...and ministry really looks like and should look like in my life.
Matthew 25:40 & 45: "The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me...Truly I tell you whatever you did not do for one of the lease of these you did not do for me."