A Giving Week

What a great week and weekend I had!

Did I sleep only every other night?  Yes.  Did I have a dozen things due?  Yes.  But I had such a great time partaking in all these end-of-year events, like the InterVarsity small group dinner, last large group meeting, the AMF rose memorial, the car wash, the pool party, and the AMF dinner gathering.  Whew, what a handful to fit in one week!  What seemed like a hindrance to all the deadlines I had to meet this week turned out to balance out all my work with fun.  More than that, though, I think I feel so fulfilled because there was much giving involved.

Small group dinner was great because of someone else's giving to me.  The rose memorial turned out to be worth all the planning and hassle -- to see a woman in a stiff suit take off her aviator sunglasses to wipe her tears and smudged makeup, to see another pray in front of a rose he laid down, to see someone take a picture of a rose she laid down, to bewilder people who wouldn't believe we weren't asking for money, etc., that meant much more than the unexpected donations we got and the email addresses we gathered.  People really could not believe we were hosting the memorial for free; it was flattering and saddening at the same time.  We had many, many people frown and ask, "So why is this free?" and one ask, "Is this a religious organization?"

To see the beautiful fifty roses simply given to us by a blind florist (I bet he knew how to give because many people had given to him, at least I hope so), to see the hospice person light up at the roses we gave them.  (Did I mention I had to de-thorn all those roses by hand?  That's an experience I will probably never have again.)  Then, making food for the pool party and the AMF dinner were so fun, and feeding people free dinner was even funner.  Giving is so important.  I had heard many times, "When you feel lacking, give to others," but this week I think I somewhat lived through it and actually believe it now.  Deadlines got extended at the right times, and God made everything else work out for me when I gave Him a little of my time.

What was supposed to be one of the worst school weeks of my life turned out to be one of the best.  God works in such mysterious ways!  I could not believe how much He kept giving to me each day, and I am thankful He gave me all of these chances to give to others.

God, You be my pilot.

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I can't wait for 3:00PM tomorrow!!!