.. do not announce it with trumpets...

entering the office of Hope for Life yesterday morning I was very blessed...
there, on the chair was a HUGE bag full of brand new baby items... sleepers and onesies and outfits and towels, picture frames and toys.. I looked through the bag to try and find an indication somewhere of who had given so generously...
to no avail...... there was nothing other than a piece of paper saying: Donation for Hope for Life..
so, I could bring in a graphologist and get on the task of finding out who the mystery giver is ( can you tell I am watching too many crime shows ) or.... I could just thank God for these gifts...

later we had a client come for the Care Closet and we were able to send her off with lots of fall clothes for her twin babies, an exersaucer, some toys, diapers and a gift card to buy formula...

isn't God just so very amazing? someone gives, someone needs help and accepts it and we have the privilege to be the ones "managing" His Goodness...

made me think, this person who just left a bag full of brand new stuff for us...
challenged me..
this is what the Bible tells us Jesus says:


"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." ( Matthew 6:1-4 )

 this fellow Christian got it right...
we always need to check our motive...

makes me think of a line from a song by Natalie Grant: 

How would You choose to define me
Cares for others or just cares what others think?

Caring for others without caring what others think, or know.. 

now, some things can't be done in secret.. like me handing out the goodies to someone who needs them.. they see me, I cannot hide.. whenever someone thanks me I make sure they know that it is the people that love God that are giving so freely to show His love to others..

or when counselling, loving and encouraging those the Lord brings to us..  letting them know it is His love flowing through us...

comes all back to Him.. like my tattoo on my wrist says so very well:

Soli Deo Gloria.. to Him alone be the Glory... no one else deserves it, not even the one that gave in secret..

Thanking Him to be able to point others to Him, to be His feet, hands, smiles and hugs... 

LOVE Him so very very much..