30 Day Giving Challenge {Wrap-Up}

Thirty days of giving.

I’m not sure I actually gave anything every day except for prayer. There was lots of prayer going on over here.

I started out the month with high expectations and lofty goals.

Not for myself, of course, but for others.

I wanted to introduce you to different charities and give ideas of giving opportunities at least 5 times a week.

That, obviously, did not happen.

At the end of the second week of November, a tragedy hit our little town, with an accident taking the life of a young girl and injuring several others. Two children were care-flighted out, and one was in very severe condition.

My blog stopped, as did much of what was going on in my life.

“Things” were pushed aside, as everyone held on a little tighter to their children.

Deadlines were missed, schedules were re-arranged or simply put on hold as our little community banded together to do what we could.

And things got better. One little girl came home the day after she was flown to the hospital.

The other little girl also came home MUCH sooner than expected.

Prayers were answered in many, many ways.

In the midst of all of this, we were called to the bedside of my husband’s sweet great-grandmother. Her time was coming soon.

A dear man I have known all of my life also left us for Heaven that day, and a few short days later, “Mom” (as we called her) joined him.

As my husband prepared the funeral of his dear great-grandmother, I began to sit back in wonder at all that had happened.

Little did I know, the storm was nowhere near over.

We received news the Monday before Thanksgiving that one of our core students, a 13-year-old boy, had cancer.

Aggressive cancer.

And he was in the hospital preparing to start chemotherapy.

The next day, we received a text. The pastor at my beloved former church was about to lose his wife. She had been battling cancer and she had fought a hard fight. She left this world the morning of Thanksgiving.

My heart is heavy, but I know our burdens can become light if we let the Lord take them.

This year’s giving challenge for me was a blessing, as it put me in the middle of 9 beautiful, faithful, giving ladies who dropped everything when I asked them to pray.

Ladies who didn’t bat an eye when my posts went up late, or submitted my winners information last.

As I sit here, on the verge of tears {again… ugh, I hate crying!}, trying to soak up this last month, I see how it worked out in a way I never expected.

Our family, our friends, our little town needed the prayer of these ladies. Had we not been doing this Giving Challenge, we would not have been connected in this way.

If I have learned anything this last month, it is that prayer is the answer, and if we need prayer, we should not hesitate to ask for it.

I started out this Giving Challenge with my mind set on giving as much as I could to others, whether it be through monetary support, things needed, or just raising awareness.

I ended this Giving Challenge feeling more loved than ever… and so very, very blessed.

As a final note, I have been able to give away some of the items from our Challenge to families, our church, and I’m boxing up quite a bit to take to the local Girl’s Home. It is a joy to give to others.

I ask only two things of you, my friends.

One, that you would hold your children a little closer and thank God for their health.

And, two, please, please lift this family up in prayer.