Showing Kindness and Generosity to Others

This is Focus on the Family spokes president Dr. Jim Daly on John Fuller and Jim we don't always do this. Of we wanted to get out of the studio and so we did a little snack run along the way you did something kind of spontaneous well it was fun. Let's let the clip for itself for The shape of the people behind I will appreciate that.

Thank you. I love it a big smile on you know you're going through drive through and you pay it forward so to speak, and you think you're the guy behind you. What a great thing to look and see the smiling face and maybe a way of thanking you for what you done.

It's wonderful.

It really is and I think I don't do that enough, but I'm not sure my budget can stand doing like a little hard on the grocery but I get a great budget. Whatever it might be, but it's fun to do, especially for servicemen and women, along with those in blue.

What a great way to wreck the service they provide our community and being in that line paying it forward for somebody is just a great recognition of God's kindness. I think we have a whole program devoted to being kind and thankful we had folks call in on a special phone line for couple of days and share their stories and these are stories of how they received some kindness and generosity from someone else, and what that did for them. Our hope for this program is that you'll be inspired to take a moment look around and ask yourself how can I do that kind of thing for somebody else and so let's go ahead and get into the calls here now is Liz from Virginia now that my children had a great job work and pray God will not bother you know you really yes Lord, my children never begging for bread for you today and I will provide for my coworker that the Lord our work is that it started working at NARA, we career and I went out with her to her car. She gave me $305 and told me that the Lord will give me encourage anyone that will always provide you a very special gift January 20 I am praying to the Lord because I had I the Lord, around the time and the Lord and I was the following day at church.

I had a where I thought. Give me a check. I thought check church where there probably about as I was leaving the church, God the check not having a tough time right now, that it with my mom and I think God will more that the Alonso merit let me in their motorhome located role I got late yet been writing for me regularly throughout my little one. Well, what you could be the word of God, light on how we love each other the way God love three.

I was going back to school to be a teacher making breakfast in the morning and I remember feeling that I made pancakes and for my children that morning and later in the day I praying you know lamenting to God and you. And then decided in their pointing out and in the very bottom of the fact that over 20 years ago during our life point rating line and I had like five years old and it was after the ballgame on the belief that they were wearing their name and we would have gone out to lunch. We were waiting to be seated at home public health Crowther that he would be when he got home to see how much they have learned and how they can learn that this comment was overheard because we can't pay the bill over told by another patron so when you're requesting stories that need pay the price of lunch at all with it.

We were here wishing for a family. I don't know what motivated the person or maybe it was that we were there without him holding down the fort and that they will likely move away from family. Lunch for me it was quite crabbing that acted on their concern for our family and always be grateful for that was Lori from Virginia reflecting what was for someone else. The price of the lunch but for her it felt like an extravagant gift. This is a special edition of Focus on the Family and as you're out and about. You can find some ways to implement some of these ideas that were sure today consider helping someone else out this Christmas season and Jimmy never know what a kind act right now right here is going to do to lift the burden of someone else is so true John and this kind of generosity can make a tremendous impact on somebody which is obvious because the people who are sharing the stories today. Just remember them for days or weeks but for years that says something right there and I'm noticing some of the callers didn't even know who to think because the giver was that anonymous, and that's always a test of our humility is that's a good thing. Matthew 6334 says when you give to the needy.

Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

It's a beautiful illustration about keeping quiet when doing good things, of course, there are times where it's just too hard to avoid that. But what's important is that you're giving from your heart as you see a need in this time year celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What a great time to provide those moments to delight somebody else that's our goal for this broadcast today to remind you look around you observant and find a need that you can meet as Jim said if you'd like a tool that you could refer to to maybe move you forward in that. Got a book by Brad forms mama called.

I like giving look for that in the episode notes.

It really is fun to give to others and I don't know who enjoys it more difficult for the recipient when something kind is done, you know I have to give Jim a lot of credit because she's good at this. She really seeks to bless other people what I deem is the same way she just there are so many needs that she wants to meet and I love that thickness of her heart and the generous spirit yeah what's so good to visit models for the kids how to be generous.

One thing we try to do arrears go to nursing homes just put smiles on the faces of those who may not get many visitors throughout the year. Of course with covert concerns this year that may look different and will likely have to find other ways to bless them. But when we could go to the nursing homes. I think we were the ones who were really blessed just to talk with these people that have so much wisdom in so many years it was awesome to engage with them. These next few calls home and those who received an act of kindness around the holidays. Here's Patricia from New Mexico and laid off right around before Thanksgiving will come to learn their drinking a vegetable for Thanksgiving dinner. Never did know where that came from her prayer and I've never forgotten that I we were able to help people.

We did leave a Loving Way, Thanksgiving dinner with you Jay for about one years old at the hour are treated about hundred and $90 back while at think back on me and your grocery but I didn't have enough money to do it all they need one for the she paid about $90 of the remaining ingredients know very doing that even though you know you morning later. Our will on what you would you amazing work my way.

I found out why baby on the way in immediate surgery. Much starting and started chemo and radiation and just so happens that surgery November work and different churches that poured in groceries things for the children and was unbelievable how much Christmas so I was pretty amazing. Support people know something came over to our house and even job so pretty amazing showed me his love how powerful can be a great great witness to word and I got a coworker who recently come to know and one of the last patient that I have with her mentioned in passing yeah really cool for me to transition back working full time because we have two boys and it's hard have you.

They can be able to pay for that bill, but mentioned that her it was really a shortcoming of nothing more than that, my day talking for me. Later it will open it and she actually given me $100 bill and she had no give each other. One dollar bill and they say the need for the next year and also appreciative of crying.

I was really impressed with God for what amount her know that God cared enough heart to help me out was really heartwarming to me saying that God always works on both sides of the equation.

There we heard a great example of someone who was ready. They were equipped and willing to do whatever the Lord said God put it on her heart to reach out to a coworker who was struggling Jim that $100. I'm sure a difference in that woman's faith journey and her practical life every day assured the job and I'm thinking, how often I've heard the testimony of somebody who was praying because they were not a point of need and someone knocked on the door, leaving groceries on the porch or something like that. Those testimonies demonstrate that God is actually with us.

He knows our situation that he hears your point of pain and he is responding through his people, you know, I just love that idea of setting aside a bit of money to get someone over the course of the year. That's a great way to consider sustaining someone through difficulties and when you look at it, John. There's a wonderful change of heart when generosity comes out of your deepest desire, rather than an obligation and so often we tend to want to give out of that obligation, rather than out of joy. It's a good lesson for all of us.

I would agree and joy is such a central part of the Christian life in the Christmas story in as were the holiday season here, let me just remind you as a listener of our podcast series. It's our Christmas stories podcast which she has some fun heartwarming memories of the holidays. Quite a few names you recognize from these broadcasts like ash Rita choo-choo Jay John Liz Curtis Higgs Johnny Erickson taught a infill fissure. You can also hear the thorn Creek bridge story and some segments from adventures in Odyssey all of that and more in our Christmas stories podcast and do some of our listeners tells the been binging this podcast series and loving every minute of it.

Joined them and find the details in our episode notes. Let's go ahead and here now. The final segment of calls and how some trying situations can be more bearable. Thanks to someone who can do now is Sharon from Connecticut living in Virginia we had a farm and that was married to an alcoholic and he had taken off and took all the money with him and left. We definitely had nothing with no food in the chicken that we have likely had no no food. There was no cereal for the kids there with very very little food, no toilet paper nothing and I remember sitting at my kitchen floor and just sleeping before the Lord, Lord, I need your help. I don't know what to do and mailed in Miami anyway though needed but anyway very next morning walking outside paper whatever and they went about my it was thing.

I don't know who did it but there was cereal in the air. There was a paper there with me that we needed to get through the end of the month when we would encourage my children. They are eating only very very generous person in Virginia about 25 years ago. Thank you for what you did Lord bless you, thank you so much for keeping our family safe place and providing everything that you did for my present I got.

Now being down and you guys you are not my husband job our family and three months after we came here, I have decided he didn't want to be married and he felt I had no many children not know my name and one day I saw any remaining yard I got the courage to go talk to her relation to a little church nearby church lady with the brand-new baby came up to me and my acquaintance and we talked my husband, the milkman and he and I can't afford. I told her I had no money and we were using dry milk. Well she was very very nice and friendly and everybody in the church with friendly five so I will go there all the time so the next morning I milk truck pulled up my driveway and her husband some thought and I said all others in this understanding I told your wife. I can't afford no it's all taken care of and he pushed me aside to walk the house and he gave me every one of everything he had on the truck that would know it was a I can't remember the other thing and I was so nervous. One paper that don't worry I'll take care of that for month later they had four children and were very needy doubt just amazed me that perfect strangers would reach out to me.

For me it really felt like I've recently been laid up work in common. I let my landlady know that the Olympic rent next month removing all don't worry about it. If you miss a couple months. It's not a big deal. Never your landlord is many years ago my husband laughed and we had three teenage children and he also had incurred secret debt was further complicated. After that was quickly overtaken but where he was faithless God was more faithful and for years the finances made no sense on paper that often I would get a call from the church secretary and she would need to come to look for you and it would be money from people that loved and looked out for, and God saw through the grants and scholarships.

All three children went to Christian college in one thing in particular I remember that tenderness was one, found an invalid and it had an amount of cash in dad this is just for you not for Bill to treat for yourself and it was such a time in the desert that it was just so warming and meaningful to have somebody reach out like that to realize that I was really noticed it had a knee. I just can't express God doesn't make sense just struggle.

After struggle, God is faithful. There's no doubt about that uses us to come alongside others at the point of need. We've heard some really incredible calls today on Focus on the Family. Great job and they've really shown the benefit of having a loving heart.

I hope you're inspired to seek ways to bless people during the coming days and easy way to do this at Christmas times to come alongside families who are struggling this year was a rough one for many people in the Christmas season is more welcome than ever and we all need the hope and peace, Jesus Christ came to give us at this time that we can give families hope through your support of Focus on the Family couples on the verge of divorce families in crisis struggling parents frighten mothers considering abortion and other needs that you can help me during this holiday season. When you give a gift of any amount to the ministry will send you a copy of that book, John mentioned by Brad forms but I like giving the transforming power of a generous life is our way of saying thank you you would like to finish the year strong to be able to plan to reach even more families in the coming year and the only way we can do that is with your help, God's going to do something amazing through you and Focus on the Family in 2021 you were really looking forward to what some of those things might be and I just know that when you donate to Focus on the Family your part of whatever God's going to do through the ministry so please be generous and donate today and ask for your copy of that book by Brad forms. I like giving the details are in the episode notes will have a great weekend and plan to join us on Monday as we hear from Liz Curtis Higgs reflecting on the hope that Christmas brings each one of us.

Jesus came for you wherever you are in your life for you. God all through history prepared for this day.

Knowing what Jesus coming with everyone what he brings on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back once more help and your family thrive in Christ