A Cup of Generosity: How to give when feeling overwhelmed
A Cup of Generosity is a monthly letter from Pastor Dana Karen Reardon and the Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship Team.
“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
Do you ever feel like neither your left or right hand know what to do about giving?
A few weeks ago on a Sunday the Assisting Minister for that day asked me before worship if I wanted to add petitions for anything in particular. My mind quickly went through all the needs, from victims of hurricanes to victims of the pandemic to so many other needs that I couldn't even think of what to add to our prayers.
After worship that same Sunday someone said to me that there seem to be so many needs that they felt helpless to know what to give to, knowing that there's no way they could help everybody.
There is a scene in Jesus Christ Superstar where everyone is grabbing at Jesus and asking for healing and the need just seems so overwhelming. That is how I feel some days. And I'm Not Jesus so I can't just heal it all like Jesus can.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the needs in the world and all the requests for money and help that you get knowing you don’t have the resources to help them all? Know that you can't fix it all. I always tell people, when they feel like they are being inundated with requests for help from our church or from all the other sources that ask for money or help, is that they are just being offered opportunities to help.
Giving should be in your budget. Actually the tithe is the first thing in your budget and where you give it is done prayerfully. Even in this you are not alone. God may lay it on your heart to help Afghan refugees and nudge someone else to give to Lutheran Disaster relief for hurricane victims. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about some other need if you feel called to give to the one.
When we realize that we are not alone it feels a lot less overwhelming. We are each only a small part of a larger community in Christ and while we individually cannot do much we can do something. And together we can do great things.
Let us pray,
“Lord keep our hearts near to the needs of your people, not so that we might despair, but so that we might each be a small part of your great work in caring for all.”
