Surely it is Better to Give

In the past few weeks, my time has been blessed with smiles, hugs and grateful tears. It has all been from giving. We have been giving out clothes, toys, furniture, coats, blankets, household items to the refugees. All the donations were given by generous people. We have received beds, couches, chairs, coats, all kinds of clothes, cleaning supplies, microwaves, toasters, silverware, plates, cups etc, etc. It has been amazing. But more importantly, it has made an impact on the lives of people who do not have much.

One story that stuck out to me was when we met with a young family. They have a 4 year old boy and the mother is expecting another child. The little boy only had 2 stuffed animals in the whole apartment. There was no extra toys. The apartment only had a broken kitchen table, a bed, a dirty couch and two metal chairs. When we got out of the truck, the little boy was jumping up and down and clapping his hands. He saw the fire truck, the ninja turtle and the toy soldier and started screaming. It was pure joy. His face was glowing with delight and I had to fight back the tears. I realized why we are doing this. It is for little boys just like this! That day we got to share God's heart with that family. That He will provide and that He truly loves them.

Yesterday, we gave a king size bed to a family of 7 (2 parents and 5 kids). They only had three beds in the apartment. The mother spoke no English but her smile was priceless. She hugged me and slipped a necklace over my head that she had made. It was her way to give back in some way. I will always cherish that moment with her and remember her when I forget to be thankful for all that I have. Sometimes we don't even realize that we are blessed because we have beds, sheets, blankets.

It is a humbling experience to be a part of giving to others. Every item we give, I see how much I am receiving.