Spare Change December 2016
When we started the year our food pantry resources had been depleted. Our cash was down, our shelves were bare, and we were buying more food than ever. This was partially due to the large numbers we saw last holiday season and the fact that we lost some of our food sources. We didn’t know what to do, but we never worried. We prayed and asked the church for help. Not only did we receive a huge donation during our Restock in the spring, we also asked for a $10 donation from each family. We raised $3,000 with that one offering.
We continued through the year, we knew we would be able to serve our community.
Everything was going along fine until we hit the holiday season. We were worried about providing Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes this year. In the past, we have tried to do
turkeys for Thanksgiving and hams for Christmas. We also had committed, in faith, to
provide 25 thanksgiving boxes to help families at AIS 1st Avenue.
To our surprise, God has prompted a few generous individuals to make cash donations to the food pantry. We also received food donations from Old National, CFC, a generous
family from the community, and the Salon Professional Academy. We were able to fulfill our commitment to AIS, serve over 100 families at the food pantry this month, and look forward to the Christmas toy and food giveaway with no worry at all.
I say all this not to brag on our food pantry, but to brag on our God. He is a great and
generous God. I am reminded of Matthew 7:7-11, when Jesus talked about asking for things from God:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
This of course does not mean we can ask for anything to fulfill our wants and desires (see James 4), but what it does mean is that God is such a good God that will give generously to us. He loves to give, especially when we seek to minister to others and bring glory to His name. I give praise to God for all He has done this year in our food pantry. Once again I have learned that I don’t need to worry, I just need to lift up my need to God in prayer. He will hear it and He will answer!
You can participate in the food pantry this December by helping on either Dec. 10th or 17th. We will be giving gifts on the 17th. Pick up a tag from the tree by the main stairwell to help provide gifts for children in our community. Contact Pastor Bryan for more information.