On November 27, 2022 I invited the Reeds UMC family to give a thank offering to the Lord by bringing in non-perishable food items for the West Davidson Food Pantry to ultimately be given to our neighbors in need. Our goal was 100 items, to be brought in by the end of the year.
Three weeks later, we had not only reached our goal; we surpassed it! I colored in all the candles and put their flames atop them on the bulletin board indicating that we had met our goal. We continued to receive items for another three weeks.
Friends, you not only met our goal, not only exceeded our goal, but you knocked it out of the park!
As of Sunday, January 8, you gave 325 items for our thank offering, to go to the West Davidson Food Pantry. And while we don’t do this for kudos or recognition, I am all for celebrating good things, and this is WONDERFUL! So, WELL DONE, CHURCH!
Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and in the last month, this church family has done this, not only through our Advent thank offering, but also through our December blood drive, which saw 41 pints collected to help our neighbors in need. We are so grateful to Buddy and Elaine Hughes, their helpers, all the Red Cross workers, and everyone who donated blood. We are also grateful to everyone who contributed to the Advent thank offering. Your gifts of love were delivered to the West Davidson Food Pantry on January 19, 2023.
Before our thank offering was packaged up for delivery to the food pantry, we prayed over it because we want it to be a blessing to those who were to receive it. So we covered it in prayer:
Father-God, we just give You thanks and praise this morning. We bring this offering before You as a token of our appreciation for the many ways You have poured out Your blessings in our lives, and we thank You for enabling us to be a blessing to others in Your name.
Lord, we place this offering in Your hands, and we ask You to bless it and use it for the good of Your kingdom here on earth. Bless this food and all who receive it. Let Your Holy Spirit go forth so that those who receive these items would receive so much more than just nourishment for their bodies.
Help us, Lord, to keep this good going. Help us find more ways in which we can love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and help us to shine the light of Your love to all we meet.
And Lord, we thank You for working this good through us, for allowing us to be Your hands, feet, and heart to our neighbors. With grateful hearts we give You all glory and honor in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Among the ways we love our neighbors, we reach out – find ways to serve, to help, and to share God’s love. You have done well this last month, church family. Let’s keep the good going!
Blessings to you in Jesus’ name.
Jeanna
