Give What You Have

Simple Pleasures at River City Trading Post

It seems that every time I leave the house, I am faced with a weary worn face, and rough hands holding a cardboard sign stating “homeless.” And you can see how some of the authors of such placards have taken the sign as a form of identification. It has become who they are. After all, this is how we label people. “The homeless man on 21st St.” We’ve been doing it since the beginning of time, “The Widow of Zarapheth”.

Recently, on my way to church, I drove past such a gentleman. He stations himself at a stop sign where the congregants of my church must stop after exiting the expressway. As I wrote about recently, I was currently unemployed, and I wondered what I could do to help, if anything. In my spirit I heard, “Silver and gold you don’t have, but give what you do have…”

I thought about what I might have that I could share with a homeless man with whom the majority of passersby try not to make eye contact. So, the next week I trekked to Dollar Tree to make little goodie bags with a breakfast bar, tissues, lip balm and hand wipes. I don’t have much, but that I could give, along with a smile that says, “I see you. You are important.” God wasn’t asking me to solve the man’s homelessness, I don’t currently have the resources for that. He was asking me to notice, and to do a little something to make the man’s day better.

Our pastor, Whit George, recently taught the most motivating series on Church Mission that I’ve ever heard. I could hardly sit in my seat for excitement. One week, he had a call to action for taking the city of Tulsa for the kingdom of God. In the church hallway, I signed up to help tutor children who were having difficulty reading in schools closest to the church. “I have some extra time right now while I am looking for work, and I’d like to help out while I can,” I told the young woman with the signup sheet. Suddenly, not working was a blessing rather than a curse. It was an opportunity! I went to training with Reading Partners a couple of weeks later.

Immediately, I fell in love with the little kindergartner I had been assigned to tutor. He was sweet and attentive, and excited to learn. He was learning English as a second language, which was likely the reason he was behind on his reading.

In the meantime, my friend Deb, from Family Fire had encouraged me to start writing again. I thought that I had nothing left to say about family life, but her list of writing suggestions was inspiring, and I was able to get a few articles out in so many days. I’ve always been so intimidated writing for Family Fire. So many of the other authors are well educated, with many degrees and are able to speak with such authority. While I, on the other hand, only had the authority of experience on my side. But my experience is something I own, and therefore can share with others.

Perhaps the most surprising enterprise of late was when my long time friend, Tia, called me to look at a space at the antique mall, River City Trading Post. I thought she was interested in the space for an idea she had for a product she had been testing, instead, we walked out of the mall as partners in an antique business, something I’ve always wanted to do. We have been shopping, pricing and arranging ever since. The majority of my items, I already owned, things already in my hand.

Finally, as I was looking through available employment positions with non-profits, I found a part-time tutoring position with Reading Partners. Because of volunteering experience with the company, I got the job! Essentially, I will be getting paid to do what I already loved doing as a volunteer, just with lots more students! (So if you have Reading Partners in your area, volunteer for them so they don’t have to spend their money hiring people like me.)

I guess I wrote all of this to tell you this: Everything you need for your future is already in your hand. You have something to give to those who are in need around you. No matter what. Just look for it. You already have treasures in your home, and ideas in your head that are valuable to other people. Just share yourself freely and you’ll be surprised at what get back in return. You may be tempted to get caught up focusing on the difficulties of your life, but spend time looking for how you can give back to your community instead. There is no way that good will not come from it. Give what you have and it will grow to more than you can hold.