Out Giving God

Out Giving God, Not! One of my fondest memories was of my dad at Christmas. For him Christmas was always a big thing. He couldn’t wait to have all of the extended family over and watch all of my seemingly thousands of cousins open their gifts. We were one of those families who opened gifts on Christmas Eve, and I’m sure this had a lot to do with my dad’s eagerness. He didn't really seem to care about what he received but was always interested in what others received. His first concern at Christmas was everyone’s happiness. Christmas hasn’t been the same in some ever so small of a way since dad went to be with the Lord, but one thing hasn’t changed: the joy of seeing others receive. That gift, that joy, and that blessing has been burned into my memory like a brand on cattle. You see, those were the happiest times for my father too, those times when he was able to turn loose and give. It made him feel good about himself and in many ways a kind of mental medication, quite addicting and soothing to the soul. Recently, I have come to realize that I too am addicted. Sound strange? Bear with me for a moment, if you will. You may find that you too are addicted, or maybe we can help you along. You see, once you begin to give, your hooked! The smiles on faces, the joy of children, and the childlikeness that comes over adults when they receive is overwhelming—often to the point of tears! Believe me, my motivation is somewhat selfish as I find with this giving comes a blessing I deem far greater than any emotion I have ever experienced. And there seems to be no downside. You see, as I give, I receive more to give, and the more I give, the more I receive. And so it goes, on and on, ever growing in size. A few years ago, the Lord began to bless our ministry with an occasional load of various types of items: sundry items, food, clothing, furnishings, or whatever. The first time we received a truckload, our ministry was struggling, with maybe $500 in the bank and little prospect for income. With every opportunity before us to make this a fundraiser, the Lord led us to give it away. People were allowed to give a donation but encouraged to do so only if they could. What a blessing. We saw people leave with loads of everyday items for over six weeks, and my, the smiles we saw. We were blessed! Did we get a lot of money for it? No. Quite honestly, we received very little in the form of monetary contributions. However, since that day we continued to receive even more abundantly than you can imagine, in every way. The ministry was never without funding for events or outreaches and grew in staggering numbers. A number of years ago we received another large shipment of goods; this only two weeks after the Lord provided a warehouse. We were able to, without cost, ship food, drinks, and serving items such as cups, napkins, and plates for over 16,000 people. These people were served at California community outreaches in Sacramento, Auburn, Mount Shasta, and Ukiah. In addition, we were able to ship much-needed items to two churches and one parachurch ministry in other cities. After all of that, we were still in abundance in our warehouse and were told we would soon be receiving multiple truckloads, which we did. Can you out give God? I don’t think so! Do we have a lot of money? No. As a matter of fact, we pray every month to meet our obligations. Can we out give God? No. But is sure is fun trying! While the ministry of Outreach America is now a fond memory, the practice of trying to out give God lives on. I have yet to see the “righteous forsaken.” We serve a mighty God, more than able to care for His children, and He is the greatest example for us to follow. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Servant of God