Inspiring Stories of Giving Back, Perfect for the Season
Dearly Beloved,
The future letters I am writing to future adults who are children today are being received very well. My goal is to write one for every kid at our church, plus some more. So I will be publishing those letters regularly. You can read what I have written so far below.
Today I want to encourage you to give back. “We give back” is my new mantra for our church. When people ask me what makes our church distinctive I want to say “We give back.” As Americans being born at this time in this place we have been blessed beyond what others in more desperate places could ever think of or imagine. It is our duty, honor and privilege to give back since we have received so much.
One family that needs giving help is the Richard Hernandez family. You probably remember him from the news. He was the 27 year old beverage delivery person who was killed Dec 7 in a random act of violence while he was delivering to a store at 6am. He was married with two children. There is no way to heal the family’s loss except by the grace of God.
His company, Sysco, set up a memorial fund which offered to match any giving. Then there was another matching offer also. So our church contributed $900 which with the matching funds generated $2700 for the family. That’s nice isn’t it? Yet I don’t think the money will go very far. What I hope will go farther is the knowledge the family has that people like us are thinking about them, praying for them, and feeling for them.
That $900 was money was part of the “give back” money from church last Sunday. The church gave every family $100 to give to some worthy cause. The reports I am getting back are fabulous! People are giving to many wonderful causes from helping underprivileged students to giving to the SPCA. One person figured out a way to feed 32 families with $100. Imagine that!
It is so exciting for me to hear the wonderful stories of giving back. Sometimes I wonder just how far these little acts of giving back will trickle through time and space. You know, don’t you, that your act of love will generate a tsunamic effect.?
I guarantee that you will have a giving back opportunity today. When you do I pray that you will let the love of God flow through your heart to your world.
I love you—Bryan Martin
Luke 6:38
