Pay It Forward

~~ Matthew 7:12  (NIV84) So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

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by Carley Cooper

Homemade Baked Goods to Give at Christmas
Photo by Carley

Have you ever seen a movie called “Pay It Forward”?  The synopsis of this film is a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who launches a good-will movement.  It is all about passing on the blessings that have been received to the next person.  Imagine how quickly the whole country could be ‘covered’ if every single person were to do a kind deed for 3 people this week.  I do not know the stats on this thought, but I am sure that it would not take long before every person in the country would have received a kind deed from someone.  Now, imagine it spreading to all of North America, then to Europe; and the whole world.  What a wonderful place it would be.

This idea is not a new one.  Jesus gave us what we now call The Golden Rule; “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31 NIV84).  In our society today, though, it seems that this concept has been all but forgotten.   We live in a society that is all about focusing on our own happiness and instant gratification instead of the well being of others.  One of the greatest gifts we can receive in our lives comes in the form of giving to others.  I would like to think that nothing I could be given would feel as good as seeing the happy face of someone else that I just helped in some way.  My heart is always filled with so much excitement as I pass on a blessing to another person.  Waiting to see the reaction feels a little like the anticipation one feels, as a child, when you were waiting for Christmas morning to come.  Re-learning to share love with each other is something that we need to make a priority in our lives. 

Here are some ways that I have shared love; and others have shared with me:

1. Not too long ago, in a supermarket, I was looking over some baskets of kiwi that were on sale looking for a good quality batch.   A little old lady came by and asked me what it was.  She had never seen kiwi before.  I explained to her that it is a very tasty fruit that is green on the inside; and is very good for you.  Some people like to eat the brown fuzzy peels, while others do not.  She was very happy with my input and thanked me for telling her about kiwi.  It made me feel very good to know I helped this wonderful woman.  It really did ‘make my day’!  (On a side note: eating the peels will increase your fibre intake up to three times, not to mention the extra nutrients and antioxidants.  Wash and cut a kiwi into pieces, with peels on, and mix into yogurt or a fruit salad and the juices soften the peels.  Very tasty and very healthy!)
2. I helped a friend do some painting in her house when she was preparing it to put it on the real-estate market.
3. I found out I was moving only 4 days before the moving day.  I spent those few days preparing; packing, arranging for utilities and various services, movers, and much more.  By the end of the day, on moving day, I was exhausted to say the least.  I needed dinner.  The cookware was packed somewhere in the mountain of boxes, and I had no energy left to dig it out.  My wonderful friend came over; with her own food and cookware, and made me dinner. 
4. I do not have a car right now.  Because of this, I have a few friends that give me rides whenever I need them.  They take me to church, grocery shopping, to appointments; and more.  I love them dearly for it.  To them, “it’s nothing”.  To me, it is a wonderful ministry that I am very thankful for.  One day when I get a car, I intend on making it a ministry of my own to ‘pay forward’ all the years I have been given rides by my family and friends; by giving rides to others who need them.
5. My family has a habit of inviting others to spend Christmas with us.  At least one of us is always bound to show up with a guest for the holidays.  Our attitude has always been “the more, the merrier”.  Last year, I invited a special friend from Toronto who would have spent Christmas alone.  We welcomed him into our celebration; placed gifts for him under the tree, and had a very fun holiday that everyone will remember.
6. My parents were superintendents in a large senior’s apartment building.  One year we realized that many of these tenants did not have anyone to spend Christmas with.  So we planned a huge Christmas dinner and invited all those who would have been alone otherwise.  My Mom, my sister-in-law, two of my Aunts, and myself; cooked and prepared dinner (and all the fixings) for approximately 40 people.  It was a lot of work, but it is one of my most treasured Christmas memories ever.
7. I gave someone the book that helped me get past my divorce; when he found himself in the same situation.
8. I have a friend that comes to my apartment now and then with a movie; and sometimes dinner, to keep me company.  This is something that I very much appreciate as a single person living alone; who suffers from Bipolar Disorder.
9. My new-apartment building does not allow dogs.  I have some friends that have been taking care of my dog for me in the past year as a result of this.  Without the incredible generosity of my beautiful friends I would be left in a terrible bind.  However, I never give up faith that God will find a way to reunite me and my baby.  
10. A wonderful person from my church family; who is unknown to me, left a card of encouragement for me in my mail slot at church during a time when I needed some support.  I keep it pinned to my message board at home where I can see it and be reminded that God, and my church family love me.

How have you shared love with someone lately?  What gifts and blessings can you pass on to someone else?  As children of God; we are called to be like Jesus.  God wants us to share the love, so that other people will see Jesus in us.  He is the most selfless, giving, loving person there has ever been.  God wants us to develop our character to be like that of His Son, who was willing to be a sacrifice in order for us to be saved.  There has never been a greater ‘Pay It Forward’ gift?!

CHALLENGE for YOU:  Try to ‘pay it forward’ by doing 3 good deeds for someone this coming week; then come  back here and share your stories with everyone in the comment section below.

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 ~~ Dear God ~~    Your ways are so wonderful that I never cease to be amazed.  The gift of giving is the perfect reward.  By giving selflessly, I am rewarded in return.  Please help me to always find incredible loving joy in giving to others.  Let others always see a reflection of Jesus in me each time I ‘pay it forward’.  Never let a week go by in my life where I do not bless someone in some way.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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The Flip Side

~~ Luke 15:32 (NIV84) ~~ But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.  

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 by Carley Cooper

Gravenhurst, Ontario
Photo by Carley

Remember your senior year of high school?  I bet it felt like the longest year of your whole life, as though it was twice as long as other years.  Why?  Well, it was because you were anxiously waiting to finish high school, to start your life as an adult.  Do you remember the day you left home; I am guessing, because you were leaving for college?  It was an awesome day.  You got to move into your own space, and do your own thing.  Mom was not there to tell you that you have to eat broccoli.  Even better was that she was not there to tell you that you cannot have sugary cereals, for dinner; or cold, left-over pizza for breakfast.  There was no curfew, you could watch whatever you wanted on TV, and party with your friends all weekend long.  Venturing out into the world without a chaperone looking over your shoulder; was the ultimate freedom.  It probably never occurred to you to feel like you were lost.

Well, for some, you are now on the Flip Side; you are now the parent.  You are sending your own kids off to college for the first time, and you are feeling scared half to death to let them go off into the big scary world alone.  “My baby is growing up way too fast.”, “How am I going to protect him when he is in another city?”, “What if he gets sick?  Who is going to take care of him?”, “How am I going to save him from dating the wrong type of person, or from getting involved with a bad crowd?”, “How do I protect him from peer pressures of drugs, sex and booze?”.  The list of things to worry about is never ending.  Every fibre of your being wants to hold that child, protect him; never let him experience any hurt, disappointment, or hatred.  If you had your way he would never even experience a cut finger.  Above all else, you certainly do not want your sweet baby doing the things you did in college!  You want only love, laughter and joy in your child’s life; for his whole life.

As a parent, you are most certainly not alone in those things you are feeling.  Every parent who has ever had to let go of a child has felt these things and much more.  Now, for just a minute; imagine what it would feel like if your baby went off into the big world and then stopped all contact with you.  What would that feel like for you?  There are no emails, no letters, no text messages, no phone calls, and no visits home for the weekends or holidays.  Even worse than that, all your calls and messages go unanswered.  You have given this child everything that he has ever needed, guided him, moulded him, and loved him with your whole soul more than life itself.  It would be excruciating to have him willingly walk out of your life without an explanation. 

The feeling that you would be completely lost without your child is something that Jesus understood very well.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells us parables of the ‘Lost Sheep’, ‘Lost Coin’, and the ‘Lost Son’.  When the lost is found, in each parable, the Master has a celebration.  Nothing else matters, except that the Master is reunited with the lost.  When we venture out into the world alone, without God, and determined to live our life according to our own agenda, we get separated from Him.  We are lost.  More than that, God’s heart is missing us and longing for us.  He wants us with Him.  We may not even be aware that we are lost because we are too busy enjoying the scenery on the journey we have laid out for ourselves...  or worse, we are just coasting along without a plan, not knowing or caring where we are headed.  The problem here is that we end up, either, on a dead end track; or one that is leading straight to the edge of a cliff.  God is trying to get your attention to let you know that only He can move us onto the right track.  He wants to protect us from getting lost, falling over the edge, or ending up in the middle of no-where. 

God has the most amazing blessings waiting for you if only you would call home.  He is as much a member of your family as your spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even pets. With every decision you make, every trip you plan, every holiday you celebrate; Jesus should be included in the plans.  For example, I wake up every morning, no matter what the weather, look out my window and say “Good Morning, Lord.  Thank You for the wonderful day; and thank You for the wonderful apartment in this wonderful city.”  He is a member of my home and I like to greet Him as I would anyone else when I get up in the morning.  I have also learned to make decisions according to what He would like me to do.  I pray to Him and wait for an answer.  Sometimes I do not get the answer I would prefer, but I have learned not argue with Him anymore as I used to do.  It is a little bit like chasing your own tail... completely pointless.  A friend once offered me the most incredible gift; of a trip of a lifetime to travel Europe.  I turned it down, because the specific circumstances surrounding this gift would have placed me in a position that would likely cause me to stray away from God.  I am not willing to take that risk.  I do not ever want to live without God in my life, again.

Do you make God a member of your family?  Do you include Him in decisions you make?  Do you talk to Him every day?  If not, He is calling you.  He is your Father, and He loves you.  He misses you, just as you would miss your kids or anyone else in your family that would suddenly drop from the scene.  So, before you go about your life without including God; put yourself on the Flip Side and imagine how He is feeling having to live without you.  He is waiting to celebrate your home coming.

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 ~~ Dear God ~~  The plans that You have laid out for my life are perfect.  They include dreams and blessings beyond anything my imagination can come up with.  Please always keep me close to You, and do not ever let me wander off into the world alone to follow my own track.  I love You and I do not ever want to live my life without You.  Just like the lost Son, in Jesus’ parable, I want to come home to live my life with You, and I am looking forward to the celebration that You have planned.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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