“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT)

This past week has been filled with all kinds of challenges. This is not unusual for me. At 73 years old, I have found that the experiences of life have been great teachers.  One lesson that life has taught me is that God works in mysterious; I have learned that God often blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. This week I almost missed a blessing. A young man that I have known from his birth, who I had not heard from in years, called me and asked if I could help him by sending $300 in a MoneyGram to Florida. He was facing homelessness. I must admit, I almost said “No.” God spoke to my heart with Jesus’s words in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”  This Scripture challenged me and I sent the money not knowing where he lived or if I was going to ever hear from him again. The next day the young man called to tell me that I literally saved his life. He thanked me for doing what no other person would do. I told him to thank God for the blessing and expressed that it was a blessing for me to share with him.   

I sometimes agonize over the missed blessings of others. In my youthful ignorance, I missed some opportunities to be a blessing to others myself. Let me explain: I have been the recipient of opportunities all of my life with people who believed in me and supported me throughout my life. Growing up in a family of faith, but having meager finances to support my dreams, it was my Pastor, teachers, and community people who partnered with my parents to assist me in making my dreams come true. Through academic and athletic excellence I was afforded the opportunity to be the first college-educated person in my family. That education allowed me to have a very lucrative career in medical research. There were some times when I was too busy trying to be somebody; that I missed the chance to help others as I was helped. As I progressed both in my secular career and my spiritual calling, I found the truth in what the Master was saying in this scripture.

God has blessed each of us with more than we can contain. Our blessings are pressed down, shaken together, and running over. We have enough from God to be a blessing to others and the more we give the more God blesses us. My question is: Have you maximized your opportunity to give and be a blessing to others? WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE OVERFLOW?