It was nearly 9:00, and I was ready to finish tucking my daughter in bed. Amelia, however, wasn’t ready for me to leave. She had more to say, and I could tell by her pursed brow that something was weighing heavily on her heart. I leaned on her pillow and looked into her eyes.

“Mom, do you remember the other day when we saw a man on the street with a sign that said,

‘No cash, just food’?”

“Yes.”

“Well, things like that make me really sad. I mean, I wanted to do something to help him. Selah [her cousin] does things for others. She had a bake sale and raised money for a dog shelter in her town. I want to do something like that.”

“What do you have in mind?”

She knew that she didn’t have school the next day, and Amelia is not one to wait around. “Can I have a lemonade stand in the morning to raise money for the homeless shelter?”

I agreed to her plan, but it changed that morning when she realized how cold it was. Rather than selling lemonade, Amelia recruited her brother to sell coffee. They ran an extension cord out to the grinder and coffee pot and put up a sign explaining their mission. In 90 minutes, they sold 3 cups, which, theoretically, would have earned $3. But they finished with much more.

“Mom!” Grant ran inside. “Someone just gave us $100!!!”

Apparently, a couple who called each other “Grandma” and “Grandpa” decided that since the money was going toward such a worthy cause, they’d make an extra donation. My sister shared about the roadside coffee shop on Facebook, and her friend in Virginia donated too. Amelia threw in a little of her own money to total $118!

We decided to meet Aaron [my husband, their dad] at The Connection Homeless Shelter during his lunch, and the kids donated the money they’d raised. The director, Beth DeFreece, graciously accepted the donation and then offered to give us a tour of their facility. As she showed us around, she explained some of their procedures and the services that they offer. Amelia and Grant were particularly interested in the family play area with all the toys. They left feeling good about their contribution, but sad that the shelter is necessary at all. Hearing about the difference the shelter is making in our community impressed and moved us.

How Splashes Become Waves

This blog and my book (here) are driven by my desire to see people live into the fullness of who they’ve been created to be and to use their voices rather than holding them back. I believe that when we each figure out when and how we want to stand up and speak up with love, we end up encouraging others to use their gifts and voices as well. Amelia demonstrated the truth of this today.

The ripple effect is one of my favorite metaphors. I love the idea that one splash can create momentum that reaches far beyond the initial point of impact. The ripples continue and even band together to create waves with an accumulation of splashes. And once they’re moving, no one even realizes where that initial splash originated. It doesn’t matter anymore because the wave is much bigger than any one ripple or a single splash could ever make.

Our kids’ donation to The Connection Homeless Shelter is a part of a much bigger story.

My daughter didn’t get the idea to do a project and donate the money from me. She really didn’t come up with the idea all on her own either. She admires her cousin. Selah used her gifts to do something special for a special cause, and then she shared her experience with Amelia.

 

 

Inspired by Selah, Amelia came up with her own plan to help others and invited her brother to join her. Amelia and Grant then experienced the joy of working together and of giving others the opportunity to donate to their cause.

My sister Daniele and I amplified their little “voices” by telling others on Facebook, which gave someone else the opportunity to be a part of their morning mission.

When we visited the shelter, the director accepted their offering and then gave them something in return – the opportunity to learn more about the bigger picture of helping others in our community.

Now I get to blog about it! I’m using my gifts and my voice to amplify the message of the shelter (video below) and hopefully inspire others to keep this little wave going. But the big question is, what will you do with it? Will you read this blog post, feel good for a moment and then forget it? Or will you let it sink in and stir something in you?

Ask yourself this question:

“What do I want to do now?”

Don’t ask what you should do. That question creates pressure that can cloud the vision of what you’re really called to do. Today was the first time our kids were ready to initiate this action. I’ve mentioned things in the past; but, when they didn’t take to the idea, I didn’t try to convince them of anything. Last week Amelia’s heart was struck by the gentleman on the street holding a sign, and the timing was just right. I’m glad we didn’t pressure them to try to come up with something before today. The impact of the moment was greater because they took initiative rather than doing it as an “assignment” to help others.

So don’t get caught up in the pressure of asking what you should do. Instead, call on that loving, joyful place in your heart, and ask what you want to do with your own gifts and your own voice.

Here are a few ideas.

• Support others with prayer, finances and/or creating jobs.
• Donate needed items to your local homeless shelter. When I asked the director of The Connection what they could use right now, she offered the following list: pillows, single sheet sets, blankets and laundry detergent.
• Donate items to thrift stores that benefit local homeless shelters. The Connection is also in need of volunteers to help run their thrift stores Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 10-4. (They have a fabulous community atmosphere, so it’s a great way to get involved and truly be a part of something that matters!)
• Donate money or even raise money through “roadside coffee shops,” lemonade stands, garage sales, bake sales, etc. Let your imagination run wild!
• Tell your kids about other kids who raise money and be willing to follow their lead in sharing their own gifts and interests for worthy causes. Let them take their donations in person so they can experience the joy of helping others, possibly meet influential members of their community, and learn something new along the way.

Do you have a special story to share? In the comments below, please give a shout-out to someone who has inspired you to use your gifts and voice. And if you or your kids do something in response to this story, please let us know!

Please consider sharing this post to keep the message going.

And now, here is Beth DeFreece of The Connection Homeless Shelter in North Platte with a special announcement.

Video from Andrea Wenburg on Vimeo.