My Mission: Save More, Give More…

As you can plainly see, I am saving plenty by couponing and CVSing. But my heart has been tugging at me to give more.

*Warning: long post ahead.

Ever since I read Marianne’s post, “Succeeding at Frugality: Competition and Greed Need Not Apply”, I have been tossing around ideas on how to make better use of my stockpile.

It amazes me how many people stumble across my blog by googling “single mom”. I am no longer single, but I have always had a heart for struggling single parents. I have felt the Lord nudging me for a long time to do something with this passion.

Well, “something” basically fell in my lap last week. Have you ever been in church, and felt the Lord speaking directly to you through the message? Last Sunday, the Pastor spoke about how we are called to “Go and Love” in our community.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

After the message, the newly appointed “Community Impact” Leader, Heather, shared her inspiration for getting involved in this important ministry.

I took a moment after the service to approach Heather (I am not shy). I asked her if I could share her message on my blog, and she gladly obliged.

Heather writes (edited for length):

“The heart of Community Impact is loving people. The practical outworking of that is to serve others in tangible ways. We want our community to be so saturated with the love of Jesus that they would miss us if we left.

It is our goal to be a body that uses our human, spiritual, technical, and financial resources to engage our community. By working on specific goals (or projects) we hope to become more like Jesus through caring about the things He cares about. As you sit at our Lord’s feet and ask what way He would be calling you to engage your world with Christ’s love, think about the next few opportunities that I’m going to elaborate on and whether you might have a passion for serving alongside others in the same way.”

She went on to describe various projects, but this one grabbed me:

SINGLE PARENT DINNER- “One can say everything best over a meal.” – George Eliot. It is true that a meal with family and friends can be one of the most refreshing things for our souls. Good food and good friends- it doesn’t get much better. For so many of the single parents in our community, the hecticness of daily life makes meal time as a family difficult.

Hillside would like to begin hosting a dinner at the church once a month for single parents and their families. We hope for this to be an opportunity where they can come as a family and be served, allowing them time to refresh and enjoy each other.

Okay, God, I heard you loud and clear. This is where my light will shine!

Heather and I spoke briefly about my blog, and I mentioned my desire to share my stockpile with specific needs in our community. She asked if I was a Grocery Gamer, and why yes indeed I am! More ideas tumbled out, such as a workshop teaching single parents how to stretch their dollars and make the most of couponing. I think we will make a great team, and I am excited about this opportunity!

The Christian life is full of surprises, you just never know where God will decide to use you. It just takes a willing spirit and a heart for the things Jesus cares about, like Heather said. I was particularly struck by this quote in her speech:

“Brian Mclaren writes this in his book on evangelism for this present culture:

‘What if one of the best ways for God to get through to those of us who have lost our way is through the kindness and influence of those others who have been brought back to a good path? And what if FOR every sleazy and religious huckster, there are in fact a dozen subtle but sincere examples of spiritual authenticity and vibrancy whose influences would do the rest of us a lot of good?

What if there really are “angels” out there- not the wing- and- halo type, but the flesh- and- blood, laughter- and- tears type- people who are literally sent by God to intervene, to help those of us who have mucked up our lives, to give us a taste of grace.'”

What a powerful statement. So… why am I telling you all this?

Well, first and foremost, to be accountable to my Mission (in left sidebar). Secondly, it is my prayer that even one reader would be encouraged to find their passion for serving in their community. That another CVS stockpile would fill a real need close to home. Single parents are just one battlefield. Many others need “angels” too.

If you are a local reader, and want to get involved in any way, please do let me know! How can you impact your community for Christ?