Thinking Outside the Bank Part 2: How to Give Without Spending Money

While we still wait on the Lord with establishing a self employed income God is showing me so many ways to give and be a blessing without spending a single cent! Chris' whole military career we supported children through Compassion International. After Chris voluntarily separated from Active Duty last October without a job lined up we knew we had to cut our monthly expenses by as much as possible. Yet there are children in our very own neighborhood that are in need of support! 

 This is Hailey, her dad is in the Army National Guard, her mother is 3 hours away. They are not members of a church and so her father has no family or support system here in Springfield. He works long hours and has various heath problems so Hailey is seen wandering the neighborhood most days.  I know she is not my child or my responsibly but God has not only made us stewards of money but also of our time. I find that I can be a help to this family and point them to Christ and still steward my time with my own family. She had a science project to do and didn't have any construction paper, a computer or printer at home so I know if I didn't help her get started she most likely in her own words would have, "waited til' the last minute and just made something up."

This is her project that we helped her get started on. It is due tomorrow and Lord willing her father will have helped her fill in the data and conclusion part of it to get an A + =)

I know the economy is tough right now and there are tons of families just like mine with not much financially to give yet have a burden to give but don't know how with a small back account balance! Here is a list of things God has shown me I can do =)

1)Babysit without a charge to a family having a hard time as we did last weekend.
2)Meet the children wandering around your town and pray for them.
3)Help them with homework, when their parents are working overtime or refuse to help.
4)Take them to the playground with you or play a board game.

You must create a balance though and not take away from your own children. That is something I am learning as I reach out into our community. Yesterday I even instituted a day of rest for me and the children from the rest of the neighborhood where we just spend time at home with each other with no where to go and no one else coming in and it was relaxing =) I think I still got about 10 door knocks though and it breaks my heart not to take them all in yet I know that my family comes first =)