Devotion:
Someone’s Someone: The Hope and Joy of Giving
I stared at the cash in my baby bag like it was a mirage.
Where did this come from? How did it get here? I didn’t even have $100 in my checking account when I left for church that morning. Surely, this was not my money. And then it hit me: Someone at my church must have heard about our flat tire earlier that week and anonymously slipped $100 into my baby bag when I was distracted that morning. But who?
That Someone probably didn’t know that I hadn’t collected child support in more than two years and was trying desperately to live on my teacher’s salary alone while raising two toddlers as a single mother.
That Someone probably didn’t know that I already had lost my car and was well on my way to losing our home.
That Someone couldn’t possibly know that I sobbed in hopelessness on the side of the road days earlier when the tire went flat after work. I remember posting some snarky caption on Facebook, looking for sympathy, but certainly never expecting anyone to help.
And yet, Someone did help.
As a result, I replaced the tire and purchased enough gasoline to get me to work that week.
Now, many years later, much of that challenging season has been glazed over, but for some reason I have never forgotten this simple act of kindness. When I think about the kind of woman I’d like to become as I continue to grow and strengthen in my new life, I always think about the power of that Someone’s giving that Sunday morning. I want to be like her. I want to be someone’s Someone.
It doesn’t matter to me whether or not I get credit for my giving.
It doesn’t matter to me whether or not anyone thanks me.
I feel a compulsion to give when I see a need worth meeting, because Someone gave when they saw my need and it changed my life. And now, having been changed so monumentally by the giving of Someone else, I can’t wait to slip money into someone’s baby bag. I can’t wait to put money in the offering plate. I can’t wait to give what I can to those who have a need.
Jesus gave, too. He saw our need and gave everything He could – His life, His death, and His resurrection. It was all for us. Not once in the Bible does it say, “and Christ regretted it because the people were sinners.” Not once does it say, “and Christ watched over the people to make sure they deserved His giving.” Praise be to God – because we don’t deserve it.
When we have a need, we should be grateful and inspired if Someone helps.
When we can give, we should be seeking those opportunities to be someone’s Someone.
When it’s time to pass on the hope of giving, we should do it with joy and gratitude in our hearts. Never expectation or judgment.
And when we are unsure about our place in the spectrum of need, we should excitedly ask God:
“How can I step in and be someone’s Someone? Who needs what I can give?”
Lord, thank You for being my greatest Someone and for sending one of Your children to help me that day. I pray that You will show me how to give in powerful ways and equip me with the courage to do so with gratitude and joy in my heart. You are my hope, and I am your vessel – send me, Father.
- Take a moment to reflect on a time you remember feeling overwhelming gratitude in receiving.
- Next, reflect on a time you have felt overwhelming joy and purpose in giving.
- How might God be calling you to be Someone who brings hope in giving today?
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
‒ 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
‒ 1 Chronicles 29:14, NIV
“A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.”
‒Proverbs 18:16, NIV
Emma Reynolds
Southeast Field Director
Who is she? Where is she?
She is that woman who needs to know Christ. She is in your community.
Prayers
- Ask God to highlight the name of one woman in your life who might be in need. Ask Him how you can meet that need practically.
- Pray for Christian women in your life and all Stonecroft volunteers ‒ that they would seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance to love others toward Jesus in bold ways.
- Pray for women around you who do not know Jesus yet; ask Him to help you find time this month to meet with just one to share with her your faith story.
Outreach Tips
- Behind every happy face is a story of pain or loss. Ask a woman you interact with daily how you can pray for her today. If she mentions a practical need you can meet, provide what she needs.
- Invite a woman who doesn’t know Jesus to join you in what you’re already doing in life – running an errand, grabbing a meal, picking up your child from school. Get to know her in your everyday life.
- We invite you to be intentional about how you reach out to those who feel alone, helpless, and overwhelmed during the holiday season. Talk in your group about how you can incorporate Holiday Prays during November and December.
Next Steps
Add your own personal thoughts and prayers.
What steps will you take this month to say “yes” to Jesus? How will you share the Gospel?
We Pray. God Answers. We Go!