Give and take

There are two kinds of people in the world, givers and takers. Takers eat well; givers sleep well. –Danny Thomas


There’s an article that came out in the New York Post about Mayor Bill de Blasio and an interesting, somewhat controversial decision he recently made.

It seems the mayor has decided to convert the former Park Savoy Hotel into a homeless shelter for 150 residents. The shelter, the first of 90, is expected to open in March.

Sounds great, right? Believe it or not, not everyone is happy about this, because right behind this soon-to-be shelter is a region of Manhattan known as Billionaire’s Row. And these folks are not happy.

There goes the neighborhood.

Before even a single person moves in, the haves have decided there is no room at their inn for a single have not. “Those people” will ruin everything, they say. How can we be safe? How dare the mayor conceive of such a program?

I think it’s kinda cool. We, as a nation, have so much to offer. So much freedom, so many opportunities—and so much fear. We are afraid, somehow, that there is a limit to God’s ability to provide, so we need to hang on to every single bit of what we have.

Truth is, we need to step back and see through God’s eyes. If even one child of God is in need, and we can provide, then provide we must. For whatever you do for even the least of these, you do for me (Matthew 25). Pretty straightforward, huh? 

Give from the heart. You’ll sleep better for it.

Monday On your way to work, school or the mall, pause at the red light and give thanks for those who have faithfully served their country. Psalm 118:22-24

Tuesday Listen today for sounds of the season: children at play, rivers freezing and thawing, animals foraging as spring draws near. Offer thanks for variety in Creation. Genesis 2:4-7

Wednesday Close your eyes for a moment. Listen to your body as you breathe in and out. Feel the miracle of life flowing through your veins. Give thanks. Psalm 139:1-12

Thursday Pray today for children in another part of the world. Pray for the children right here whose lives are at risk. Ask God to guide your thoughts-- and your actions. Jeremiah 1:4-8

Friday Take a few minutes to look in your closets. Are there items—a winter coat, perhaps—that you no longer need? Where do you have “more than enough”? 2 Corinthians 8:7

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, ask the Lord to reveal the uniqueness of you. Celebrate simply being a beloved child of the Most High. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Sunday Look around you at the beauty and variety of God’s children in this place. Listen for the voice of God welcoming everyone. Praise God—and welcome one another in love! Acts 17:22-25

Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. 
–H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


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