Blessings for Bellringers

Introduction

Giving joyfully is a gift from God that both the giver and the recipient experience.

Ahead of time

Collect or purchase items that can be used to make gift bags for the bellringers. Suggested items: thermal cup, lip balm, gloves or mittens, hat, scarf, hand warmers, homemade cookies or brownies, cough drops, tissues, warm pair of socks, hot chocolate packets.

Service Project Ideas

• As a group, assemble the gift bags.
• Make and sign thank you cards for each person.
• Have a thank-you breakfast at the corps for the bellringers.
• Cook and deliver a meal for them to enjoy during their break.
• Split into small groups and take disposable cups and a thermos of hot chocolate to the different kettle locations, which expresses love, kindness and encouragement.

The Gift of Giving

Scripture: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully” (2 Corin. 9:7 (NLT)

Do you remember the story told in the book of Acts where the people were selling their property and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to other believers who had needs? The story relates that Barnabas sold his field and gave the money generously. Then Ananias and Sapphira sold land but agreed to keep part of the money back while pretending to give it all. We see the contrast here in this story of being stingy and being generous.

Perhaps you remember from your childhood collecting a bag of candy and being presented with the choice of selfishness or sharing. As much as eating the whole bag yourself seemed so reasonable, you were guided that sharing was a great way to demonstrate good character.

When I was a child, I remember going trick or treating one year when my sister had the flu. She couldn’t go but I spent hours going door to door till the very last minute allowed for collecting candy and the porch lights had turned dark. I arrived home with my bag flowing over with pounds and pounds of yummy candy. My mom did what parents did back in those days. She went through my bag and gave it the official candy inspection. The inspection included removing the Reese’s Candy Bars because she was sure I wouldn’t like them, but my dad would sacrifice himself to make sure they wouldn’t go to waste. She then proceeded to split the candy into two piles and encouraged me to share one of the piles of candy with my sister. I thought to myself, “I worked hard at collecting that candy. Why should my sister deserve having any of my candy? Besides she’s sick and candy wouldn’t be good for her condition.” I was convinced that it would be best for me to help my sister by not contributing to any factor that might make her sicker.

As I laid in my bed with my candy stash next to me, I began to think that it was so unfortunate that my sister couldn’t go trick or treating too. The more I thought about it the more I convinced myself that all that candy probably wasn’t good for me. It might give me cavities or worse, pimples. When I woke up the next morning, I grabbed my bag and went to my sister’s room. She seemed to be feeling much better and so was I. I had decided that not only was I going to share half of my candy with my sister I was choosing to give it all to her so that she could feel better after having a day of misery with the flu.

We are faced every day with opportunities to consider will we be selfish or generous. Will we give or hold back? In 2 Corinthians 9:7 we read a simple verse that gets quoted often in life. “God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving stirs up the endorphins in our brain that brings joy and cheer. It causes us to feel good about ourselves and others.

Perhaps that’s why Paul encouraged in his letter to the Corinthians this concept of giving generously. He sets up the concept with the illustration of a farmer who considers what he’s going to grow and how he sows the seed for a harvest. It can cause us to think about the farmer and what he might be thinking about the harvest process. “Do I plant just a small bit of seeds so that I can grow only enough for me to eat? Or do I spread lots of seeds so that I can produce a huge crop that I can share it with others? Do I sow generously so I can share generously? We may not find ourselves farming, but we are faced with the same notion with our time, our possessions, our abilities, our money, and other things that we harvest in our lives. We consider am I going to be selfish? Am I going to keep it all to myself? Or am I going to recognize that others have needs and I have ways to contribute to meet their needs.

Like my willingness to give my candy to my sister, I am faced each day with opportunities to decide am I willing to give to others who don’t have what I have. Am I willing to share my food with others? Am I willing to share my time with a lonely person, and am I willing to give what is needed in an abundant measure?

I have a choice like Barnabas, Annanias, and Sapphira. I must choose, “Do I give what I have for others, or do I hold some back and lie about my ability to give?” God may never ask you to sell a field, or a house, or a car but He might. You may never be faced with the choice to keep your bag of candy next to your bed or share it with someone who couldn’t collect candy for themselves, but you might. Are you willing to give to others what they may need?

One of the most visual illustrations of giving occurs each December in The Salvation Army. We experience the generous giving of those who will share toys, food, and finances to make a holiday season enjoyable for the recipients of those goods. But we see the joy that others feel as they give of their time and money to experience joy in their own lives. That joy is a gift from God as stated to the Corinthians. It helps us experience the love of God. We recognize His love from the cheer we feel from giving to others and when we give to others, it’s like giving it to God.