Giving Like a Child by Pamela Mytroen

 

When I was four years old, I couldn't wait until the lights were turned out and my mom and dad had said goodnight and prayed with me. As soon as my two-year old sibling had fallen asleep in the crib beside me, I would sit up in bed, shake my pillow until the pillowcase slipped off and then pretend to pack it with food for every starving child I'd seen on TV. I would then journey to the dark nation of Africa. I tried to figure out how to sneak leftovers from the supper table but I knew that wouldn't go over well with Mom, so I just stuffed pretend potatoes, meatloaf and chocolate cake into my case and swung it over my shoulder every night. I would hand it out freely, the bag never running out. I never thought to question them about whether or not they deserved this food, or how to sustain them day after day. I just loved the smiles on their faces. Once every child had taken enough for their family, I would shove my pillow back in the case and fall asleep in peace. 

My four-year-old sense of justice became jaded as I began to listen to the "big people" talk around me. They would talk about the homeless man on the street and all agree that he didn't deserve a hand out because he wasn't working. I worked that philosophy into my children's story books and decided that the hungry bunny didn't deserve to eat the farmer's lettuce after all, and he should be chased away. I also worked it into the bible where it says to feed the poor and decided that instead of feeding the poor people, I should teach them theology, because after all, they would go to hell with a full belly just as easily with an empty one. 

I began to see every homeless person as being lazy and untrustworthy, and focused on learning the truths of God's word instead so that I could impact lives from the inside out. However, that changed when I was challenged to read Jesus' words again. He commands us to care for the poor and he doesn't put any qualifiers on it. He doesn't say, "Give to the poor and demand that they buy groceries with it." He doesn't say, "Only give to those who are looking for work." He just says "Give to everyone who asks you for something" (Mt 5:42).  I began to realize that giving to the poor, or taking care of the vulnerable, not only gives them hope and nutrition, but it also teaches me a lesson. 

Working downtown in a  city, I soon found countless opportunities to put my faith into action. Or rather, they found me. Stepping out of the hotel, I would immediately be asked for money. I finally learned to carry change in my pocket. While I had no clue where they would be spending this money, I learned to leave it in God's hands. Instead, I would chat with them as we walked down the sidewalk together. I know it's not always wise to give irrationally, but maybe giving to the poor is more about what we need to learn than about what they need to eat. 

I learn to trust God when I give. I learn that He is kind and gracious to all of us. I learn that I don't deserve His blessings any more than a woman stopping me on the sidewalk and asking for money. Her hair is long and unkept and I don't know where she will go once she's out of my sight, but I can bless her and pray for her in Jesus' name. Although this is a very small action, it has opened my eyes in a big way to see that God respects and values every human being. I have learned to see past the downcast eyes or the demanding tone of some desperate people and instead to see the fingerprints of God on their lives. 

While I may not be able to affect change at government level, I can do small child-like things from day to day. I can take a container of soup to a senior who is struggling with depression during the isolation of Covid. I can call my neighbour widow and ask if she needs groceries picked up for her. I can listen to a friend share about the effects of childhood abuse and how they are still struggling with self-worth. I can sponsor children monthly through various organizations and I can write letters to my MP to protect children from trafficking. 

Maybe stuffing food into a pillowcase and sharing it with the hungry wasn't so far off after all. My heart still longs to help them, and maybe that's where God is found - in the hungry and homeless - who have so much to teach us about grace and no-strings-attached love of Jesus. While social justice issues have broadened from hunger and poverty to persecution, modern day slavery, and freedom of speech, it still comes down to individual people who need to be seen and acknowledged, and sometimes the best way to show that is by a handout, whether that hand holds a bag of food or material goods, or a handful of hope and dignity. 

While God warns governments that He will call them to account for how they've treated the poor and vulnerable, He also expects individuals to be aware of their needs and to help in whatever way they can. Giving comes naturally to children when they are raised with compassion, and God's words are simple enough for a child to understand. "Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land . . .buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. . . The LORD  has sworn by himself, . . . 'I will never forget anything they have done. Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn?' " (Amos 8:4,6a,7, 8a). 

   

Connection - Marnie Pohlmann

The posts this month describing the 2019 Inscribe Fall Conference have been interesting. Many who attended seemed to enjoy the change in format, at first wary of this “Open Space” concept yet willing to participate. Most registrants came away enjoying the change, surprised at what they learned and how God worked despite not having workshop teachers. The worship times and devotionals were meaningful. Not that past years were not just as impacting; this year was simply… different.

I did not participate in the conversations as much as others at this year’s Conference. I stayed in my comfort zone, struggling to get the Stripe payment system working. I was also people-watching. What, exactly, was I seeing?

I watched people network with one another, whether in a group session or sitting with friends over coffee. We all had both writing and God in common, which added to the ease of communication, but there was something more. I saw people sharing freely, whether they had known each other for years or had just met. 

People mentioned being ministered to. What was it about Open Space that encouraged this? I have a theory.

I saw relationships growing. Individuals were sharing deeply. They were well past the what-do-you-write type of how’s-the-weather talk. Speakers were freely sharing. Listeners were caring and attentive. Attendees of all ages were learning from one another.

There is a deeper level of conversation that feeds our souls and frees us from remaining in the polite society level of relationship. God has been teaching me about this kind of communication, encouraging me to develop the skill of speaking with both friends and strangers to reach that deeper sharing more quickly.

This past Spring, I attended a women’s simulcast conference. The concept of asking questions that lead to more honest conversation was demonstrated during the two days. Women were equipped to share transparently, learning a simple way to speak to neighbours, coworkers, and each other to develop relationships and introduce God through caring communication.  Google “IF: Gathering” and you can discover what it’s all about. Perhaps there will be an IF: Local near you. There will be another in Fort St John this coming February.

Most of you probably already have this communication skill, whether unconsciously as part of your personality or consciously practicing relationship building. The idea is not new. As writers, we know about asking open-ended questions that cannot be answered with one word and provide more valuable information. As Christians, we understand the need for mentoring, discipling, and encouragement. But I am only now recognizing the difference that connecting in deeper conversation can make in a relationship.

Parents use this style with their children. Ask a child how school was that day and you will probably get “Fine.” Ask a child to describe what they enjoyed at school you may get a story about kindness, a good grade, or an interesting topic of study.

Jesus used this kind of communication with his disciples and the crowds. He asked questions. He used everyday life to introduce spiritual truth. He listened and watched and knew the heart of his disciples and of strangers in the crowds. Jesus quickly reached an intimate relationship with all he spoke with. God in us only makes a difference to others when we are in an actual relationship; more than a wave-on-garbage-day relationship but one where listening and caring and sharing is purposed.

From Old Testament times, our relationships were meant to have a purpose - to experience and share God in our everyday life. Deuteronomy 6:4-10 describes this communication to the nation of Israel.

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

(New Living Translation – italics added.)

We can use this form of communication at church, work, or across the fences in your neighbourhood. Rather than asking how their week was, which will usually get the “Fine” or “Good” answer, take the risk to begin a conversation on more than a surface level. Know, however, that this kind of conversation is never one-sided. You, too, must be prepared to share your heart.

Taking an honest interest in others may be easier when we have writing and God in common, like at Conference, but our calling is to communicate with both printed and oral words in a transparent way that allows God to shine through.

Some topics or questions to start a connection.

The best moment of the past week.
A relationship you struggled with this week.
What you are using for your daily devotions right now.
The number of words you think you wrote this week.
How you feel about (insert current news story.)
Who you are looking forward to getting together with next week (or over Christmas.)
Where you have been in the past year that you would recommend someone visit.
When/how you met your spouse or God.
Why you chose your profession. What led you to live in this neighbourhood.
Who the person in your genealogy is whose story is most interesting.
Who you admire that you would like to know more about.

In Praise of Timely Tips - Tracy Krauss

There have been so many great resources and tips this month - and I mean SO MANY, that I almost wondered if I had anything new to share. For instance, Violet Nesdoly's post on taking control of your social networking was practical and very useful. I'm checking out both of her suggestions in hopes of using them in the near future.

As well, Ruth Snyder's post entitled, "5 Reasons Why Writers Should Use Twitter' demystified this social networking powerhouse and put it in its place - as a useful tool. Thanks Ruth!

I loved what Brenda Leyland had to say recently, (I'm not sure if it was here or in an email) when she encouraged people to subscribe to this blog via email. I try not to get too many blogs coming through my email, because I've got too much stuff going there as it is, but I took this small piece of advice and am I ever glad I did. I haven't missed a post all month and there have been so many great tips and articles that I might have missed otherwise.

Lest I become like one of my junior high English students wondering if I've reached my prescribed 'word count' for this post, I will post a few tips of my own before signing off for another month.

1. Make it easy for people to follow you. One thing I like about 'Blogger' is the 'Follow' widget, rather than having to sign up to follow a blog. (Although I just praised the email option a moment ago.) This should be near the top of the page and clearly visible. The same goes for links to your facebook page or twitter. I visit a lot of other people's sites and try to follow or like as many as possible, but if I have to go searching to do so, I probably won't.

2. Make it easy for people to share. I use a widget called 'Add this" and again, it should be in a spot where it can be easily found. Some people have sharing options at the end of each post, and on blogger there is the 'Share' at the top of the page. Still, widgets like 'Add this' make it possible for people to share on a whole host of sites. I use this myself every time I post, sharing my latest blog post on several of my other social networking sites. It takes just five minutes a day or less!

3. Make your own life easier by automating as much as possible. Make sure your blog is set up to automatically share new posts to facebook and twitter and anywhere else that allows. I also have the RSS feed set to share my blog everywhere I see this option: my Amazon author page; all of my 'ning' networks; goodreads ... As well, my goodreads account is linked to my facebook; my ning networks, linkedin and myspace are linked to twitter ... It's like a giant 'web'. Link as many things together as possible and you will save time in posting to each individually.

We are all pressed for time these days. The key is to find simple ways to make your online tasks easier and more efficient. Hope you find these tips helpful and easy to implement!

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author and playwright. Check out her website for details. tracykrauss.com

It's Harvest Time

I recently heard a story about a woman who went into a store and found God behind the counter. He asked her what she wanted, and she said “I want to buy a little joy and prosperity and a lot of peace -- not just for myself -- but for everyone.” God replied, “We don’t sell the fruit here…we just sell the seeds. Once you get the seeds, you have the power and authority to produce the fruits yourself.”

Have you looked out your back door and scanned the fields lately?
Did you become curious enough to want to know if your planted seeds were rising up to life? Or have you planted any seeds at all? Jesus spoke figuratively about sowing and reaping but His purpose was to explain the meaning of reaching out to others with the Gospel message. Why?
What is the work that is required from the believers? “The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.” (John 6:29) Jesus said, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

So if we are to believe, what beliefs are expected of us? Do we believe that God came down from heaven? Do we believe that he gives life to the whole world? Do we believe that in order for the Gospel to be preached we have a part to play? Is it enough to believe that Jesus exists? Even the devil exists. We have the duty of taking the good news as we travel the narrow road. We have the duty of spreading the good seed on the fertile ground along our journey to heaven. Think about it…didn’t someone plant your seed? Were you encouraged in the faith? Did someone remember you in prayer?

“Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life…” (John 6:40) Isn’t that our earnings? Our wages? If we invest in a little sowing and reaping don’t you think the principle of getting a return on our investment will come about? An investment for eternity; more wayward souls brought home to glory. Or do we even believe the importance of pointing the way of Salvation?
What did Jesus do? Let’s pause by John chapter 4 for a moment. When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, she realized her need for God. As a result of her newfound joy, she ran back to her village to tell everyone she saw about this man who knew all about her and they all came running to see him. The seeds were scattered all over the village. It was fertile ground! The people needed to hear the good news about the Christ.

Seeds continued to germinate throughout Jesus’ journey. The Bible says that crowds followed him and were amazed. Seeds were scattered all over the mountain as Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand. Didn’t they witness a miracle before their eyes? Didn’t they learn about Jesus as Lord at that moment? Seeds were planted in the jailer’s heart when Paul was miraculously freed from prison. His entire family became believers. Seeds were gathered in the hearts of the Centurion’s home when his servant was healed. Yes, these families became believers, believers in Jesus, the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world.

What can we do? We can share the good news. We can wait upon God to water the ground. We can till the ground and keep it maintained. In other words, we can share the good news of salvation and eternal life to others and maintain a friendship with them and introduce them to God’s greatness. And all the while we are in the planting mode, God gives us the power and authority to speak and sow in his name. It’s not about a sowing a new plantation for the believers. It’s about reaping what has been sown, row-by-row, and person-by-person. God came to offer life; therefore God will bring the increase!

Jan Keats

Allowing The Holy Spirit To Stir His Children To Pray and Believe

We all know that God answers prayer. All Christians ought to have an experience of answered prayer. But do we, His children, come together often enough to “share” together in prayer? Do we encourage one another by sharing answers to our personal prayers?

Every Tuesday morning a prayer meeting is held in our church. About 20 people come together to share various needs and concerns or intercede on behalf of others. Once a hearty list is detailed, we begin to intercede on account of those individual needs. Through praise and prayer, we lift up the names by those who have activated their faith and uttered the requests.
What then? We close our eyes in prayer and we hardly realize there is a person sitting next to us. Are we really sharing together? Is there power in numbers in a prayer meeting? Are we really agreeing together or do we simply mouth our needs to the Lord?

Sundays is also another specific allocated time and place for prayer. Before the church service begins God’s people are praying for a stirring and a mighty outpouring of His love. What then? Do we believe that God is going to do something? Do we believe that God will actually convict the sinners to come to repentance? Do we labour and wait upon the Lord? Or do we sit at leisure and wonder if God heeded our prayers?

Are these moments of prayer time producing encouragement to continually seek God in times of deepest need? Maybe we are forgetting something. If God is an answering prayer God why doesn’t someone say something. Perhaps we need to implement various ideas and approaches to prayer to keep our faith stimulated and active. There are various ways of enlightening prayer meetings. During one Tuesday morning prayer, I felt strongly to restructure the format just a little. We began by sharing the concerns followed by a prayer time and singing the appropriate songs in between. Then we had a personal sharing time of reflection. The group began to share openly about their initial encounter with Jesus.

The sharing time proved to be very positive and uplifting. One by one people began to open up and express their answered prayers. It was somewhat reminiscent and it brought about a fresh flood of wonderful memories of God’s wonder working power. The love of God saturated the very hearts of those that spoke and listened. It was so good to hear each other’s “faith” stories. It was good that the knowledge and grace of God was shared. Many times following the initial conversion the first love somehow fades away for a time. Christians who have been serving the Lord for years need to reflect upon His love and leadings of life. We ought to keep our faith firm and fresh. As a result, prayer, praise and “answers” will all complement each other.

The strength is not only in the praying but also in the answers and the willingness to share the Gospel message of hope fearlessly. When we accomplish God’s will, others will see that God is truth and life. An honest openness and acknowledgement of sharing and speaking about the leadings of the Holy Spirit in ones’ Christian walk gives encouragement and increases the faith of the body of Christ. May the beauty of Jesus be seen in each of us!

Jan Keats