The Cost of A Grateful Heart

Today I was unloading some groceries into my car and had to refill a bucket that had turned over while I was driving.

What can I say? Me and corners! I often channel Mario Andretti while I'm driving.

Anywho, that bucket has been in my car for a while. It's full of items I need to return to my event stash at work. I borrowed some things a while back to help a friend with an event.

In the bucket was a baggie full of snacks someone was passing out at that event. I had forgotten about it, but today I decided I would give them to the next homeless person I saw. It was packed full of pre-packaged snacks and would be a welcomed gift for someone who had nothing to eat.

I had barely driven two blocks when I found someone and gave them the snacks.

I have so much to be grateful for in my brief 50 years of walking on this earth. My life is an unending story of the Lord's miraculously gracious favor and His faithfulness. Many stories would amaze you!

This time of year many are taking the time to write a daily post on social media of thanksgiving. I have done that in years past and I believe that expressing gratitude is a good practice in this often cynical and entitled world in which we live.

However, this year I decided to be more practical and hands on with my gratitude. Time is harder to give than words - much harder and more costly in my world. Because of what I do, I am often responsible for hosting/orchestrating different events. Over the next month, I will have nine, two of which were self-inflicted because I'm crazy and I love Christmas and I love hosting gatherings in my home. The others are all for work.

I am also writing a book, as many of you well know, and I am taking that task very seriously. Finally! So, my time is PRECIOUS. I guard it relentlessly! However, it's not so precious that I cannot spare some of it to make a significant impact on someone else.

That is why I, after making a point to find that homeless person, I decided to do one thing each week this holiday season to bless someone else - something they either physically, financially or emotionally cannot do themselves. While I won't share with you what I'm doing, I will share why I am doing it.

Many years ago I was struggling with sharing a gift that had been given to me, with a friend. I was so poor and had so very little to give that Christmas, but I knew my friend would love this gift. I struggled greatly and told the Lord, "I just can't give them something which costs me nothing."

The Lord gave me such grace for myself and I got over it for that instance, but that has become somewhat of an unspoken guiding principle in my life. I most often give gifts that cost me time because I covet mine so.

I am seeing across the board how much so many of us covet our time, often needlessly so. We don't like giving it up even to help others. (Spoken from the standpoint of a volunteer recruiter.) We will lend our moral support and money, but our time? We love it way too much.

So, this year I am graciously giving mine away to those who, I believe, need it most. It is the one gift I can give which will truly cost me something.

It is easy for me to lose sight of what is important when I have so much on my plate and so many people looking to me to for so many different things.Yet this season is about so much more than gorgeously set tables, managing family drama and finding the perfect gift.

It is a time to focus our hearts towards others. It is a time to remember God's goodness to us and to remember His ultimate gift, His son, Jesus, who so graciously gave everything for us to be with Him forever. That is why we celebrate.

I have been given so much and my heart is overflowing with gratitude. I want to tangibly live out the overflow and not just share it in words. Words are good, but they will soon be forgotten. Yet when you touch someone's heart it leaves an indelible mark.

Consider how you will focus your heart this holiday season. What can you give that will cost you?