Coach Mom Newsletter - FEB 2013
My friend Robyn
returned home from work last week to find a
note on her front door telling her that
someone had paid her rent for the month of
February. When she called the office to ask
if she might give them a thank you note to
pass to the gift giver, the office attendant
said that she didn’t have any contact
information. She told Robyn that this
incident had impacted her significantly and
she had been emotional about it all day.
Robyn was able to share with her how much
God love to give us undeserved gifts. Not
only did Robyn receive a wonderful blessing,
but others did also, making His Name even
greater.
“This service
that you perform [giving] is not only
supplying the needs of God’s people but is
also overflowing in many expressions of
thanks to God. Because of the service by
which you have proved yourselves, men will
praise God for the obedience that
accompanies your confession of the gospel of
Christ, and for your generosity in sharing
with them and with everyone else.”
2 Corinthians
9:12-13
I would like to present
Project Cupid: Would you be willing to pray
and ask God who he would want you to share
His love with this Valentine's Day? Perhaps
you could even include your children in the
fun.
A few ideas of random
acts of generosity (remember to include a
“God loves you” message):
-
Pick up the tab for
a couple at a restaurant.
-
Donate a few
dollars towards the order of the person
behind you in a drive-through line.
-
List something for
sale online, then give it to the person
when you meet to do the transaction.
-
Take flowers to
someone who might not have a Valentine.
-
Anonymously give a
grocery store gift card to a family who
is struggling financially.
-
Offer to babysit
for a couple who needs a date night.
-
Make Valentine
cards for friends who might not have a
special Valentine.
As you pray and ask God
who He wants you to share His love with, He
may lead you to give a gift that doesn’t
cost money. On my flight to South Africa
last March, an unexpected “mission”
opportunity came my way before we ever
arrived. I was sitting in the middle seat of
the plane’s middle section, which had five
seats across. As the plane took off that
afternoon, I heard a baby about twenty rows
ahead of me screaming. I hate to admit it,
but my thoughts were only That poor
mother. I’m glad I’m not sitting right
beside them! As the nine-hour flight
progressed I noticed the mother standing up
and working with the baby much of the time.
Did I think of helping her? No, not a
thought.
Then, in the middle of
the night, when the plane was quiet and
almost everyone was asleep, the baby started
up again, with a blood-curdling scream. I
immediately was wide awake and had the
prompt to go help her.
Go
help her? I asked. Lord, if you
want me to go help her you are going to have
to wake up someone to let me out of this
row. Not a second after I prayed that
prayer, the man who was fast asleep to my
left jolted awake, took off his seatbelt and
walked to the back of the plane. That left
two open seats for me to get to the left
aisle, the aisle the baby and mother were
on. Okay, Lord, that’s obviously my cue.
I introduced myself to
the woman (who I’m not sure knew English,
but was happy to let me hold the baby
nevertheless), and she handed over her baby
to me. After about a minute, members of the
crew came to me and told me I could not
stand there because the screaming was waking
everyone up, and they moved me to the back
of the plane. I motioned for the mom to come
with me and then found her a seat and
signaled for her to get some sleep. She
immediately drifted off and slept almost two
hours. I couldn’t believe how alert I felt
standing holding the baby in the middle of
the night, a reminder of how God always
provides when we obey.
During those hours,
members of the crew came to me one at a time
to tell me how much they admired what I was
doing for that mother. That gave me a chance
to share with them that actually I am really
much too selfish to think of it myself. But
I love and serve God, and I felt He had
awakened me and told me to go help. I am
confident the story about my prayer, and the
immediate answer of the man waking up and
moving out of the way had some impact. Wow!
I was blessed with the opportunity to be the
hands of God to a needy person, the mother
was blessed with some much-needed rest, and
the crew was blessed to see God’s love in
action.
Other gifts that don’t
cost money:
-
A smile
-
A hug
-
A prayer
-
An act of service
-
Time
Three cheers for Project Cupid, and I
can’t wait to hear how God loves people
through you!
back to top
 Congratulations
to Terri Rawls and Karen Runyan, winners of
Kay Wyma’s book
Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve-Month
Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth
Entitlement. If you didn’t win last
month, you have a second chance!
Kay has donated two more books to give away.
To enter the drawing, accept the “Project
Cupid Challenge”
(see above), email
Brenna and write “Project Cupid” in the
subject line.
Bonus: Those who email
Brenna and share the generous act they did
for Project Cupid will be entered two more
times in the drawing.
Just
write “Project Cupid follow-up” in the
subject line.
back to top
Brenna's recent trip to Sierra Leone brought
more that and opportunity to minister and
serve. It brought a big lesson about truly
living what you believe.
Read the post on Brenna's Blog.
back to top
 Close-out
on Amy Knapp’s Christian Family Organizers –
only $9 each, while supplies last.
Email
Brenna to arrange for pick up. Shipping
an additional $3.99.
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