When We Bless Others

December 14, 2023 by alisa hope wagner Leave a Comment

The Gift of Giving

When my son Isaac was nine, we went to a pizza and game restaurant. He walked up to me and sighed, “I’m never going to get a dinosaur,” he lamented. He sat down at the table and put his head in his hands. He had used all of his coins on a claw machine filled with dinosaurs. Try as he may, Isaac wasn’t able to take hold of a dinosaur long enough so it could fall down the winning shoot.

“I’m sorry,” I said, knowing my son’s intense personality. I’ve come to realize that accepting disappointment will always be a struggle for him. He had sacrificed all of his coins only to come back empty-handed.

Suddenly, my six-year-old son, Levi, came running up, “I won it! I won it!” he yelled and handed a green dinosaur to his older brother.

Instantly Isaac’s face lit up. “Thank you, Levi!” he cried and grabbed hold of the dinosaur, holding it to his chest. I stared at my boys, excited that the problem had been solved so quickly and without any assistance.

Both my sons smiled happily, and I could tell Levi found immense pleasure in blessing his brother. Finally, Isaac suggested Levi try to win another dinosaur for himself and one for his sister.

When my sons returned five minutes later, Levi had won eight dinosaurs. I couldn’t believe it! God had blessed Levi with a buffet of different dinosaurs, which he shared with his sister and brother. Plus, God had handed me an excellent, ready-to-be-used teachable moment!

“You see what happens when we give something special to others? God is able to bless us with so much more! Levi, you gave your only dinosaur to Isaac because you love him, and God blessed you with eight more! When we bless others, God will bless us.”

My kids all nodded, and I was excited that I could teach them a difficult truth from a reality they could understand. “Thank You, Lord!”

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6.38 NLT).

From Gathering Empty Pitchers: Faith Writings Volume III

Which reminds me…

What I Want for Christmas This Year

As I shared in the newsletter this week (are you a subscriber?), what I want for Christmas this year is this…

If I were to tell you ONE thing I really want for Christmas this year, it would be this…for these three ministries to be funded and able to carry out their wonderful missions across the globe!

And it can be a small thing.

But a bunch of small things can add up to a really big thing for these wonderful people.

If you asked me what you could give me for Christmas, it would be this. Give to these ministries with me. See them. Pray for them and give them the ability to do MORE of what they are called to do by supporting them.