"Jesus fed the hungry and so can you"
For today there were a lot of things that I was able to participate in. The first two are past activities. My Dec. 1 service was participating in a canned food auction with my congregation and we had A LOT of food that was then donated to a shelter. And then I was able to participate in my church's monthly fast Sunday. The first Sunday of every month member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fast for 24 hours and then donate the money that they would have spent on food to a fund called "Fast Offerings". Fast offerings don't go to the headquarters of the church but instead are kept at the local level and used specifically to help the poor and needy in the community.
Apart from those two activities, I wanted to do something extra today so I was driving to a shopping center where I know that there are typically people asking for money. My plan was to buy a gift card to some food spot and then gift it to whoever was standing out with a sign, but as I pulled into the shopping center parking lot I felt a distinct impression that I should just give the cash and not a gift card. I turned the car around and someone was standing at the parking lot exit. I handed her the cash and with tears in her eyes she said, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how cold it gets at night" and at that moment I realized that just because today's theme was feeding the hungry, it doesn't mean I should ignore every other need that people have. Her concern wasn't where she would get food, but how she would survive another night in below freezing temperatures without a home. I am so thankful for the spirit that impressed me to skip one step of my service today.
I don't know if what happened next was inspiration or indigestion, but I went hunting for food. I didn't have much time before work so I figured I would run into one of my favorite grocery stores Sprouts and just pick up an apple or something to munch on before work. I picked up a few apples and some yogurt covered pretzels and then when I got to the checkout line I saw this sign:
It was the perfect way to end my day's service of feeding the hungry. It was so easy. I just grabbed one of their pre-packed bags and bought it and then they set it to the side and it will be donated to the needy. No need to hunt through aisles or anything.
I know that as we sincerely look for ways to serve the Lord will open our eyes to the endless opportunities we have. I'm thankful for the Gospel in my life and how it encourages me to look outward. It really does feel good to stop thinking about myself so much.
#LIGHTtheWORLD
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