Joy Best

Recalibrating

(meaning) adjusting with meticulous measurements

Recently I read the book “Fast Living” by Scott Todd. For me it is a re-calling to live Isaiah 58, to bring justice, help for the poor, sharing with those in need.  I’ve been asking God, “How can we spend ourselves for the sake of the poor more effectively?”

I grew up with a keen sense of awareness of the responsibility of those of us in the advantaged part of the world to tangibly care for those who are disadvantaged. From my earliest memory I had a family member who lived among these ones (my auntie lived in the Philippines for forty years). My sister also lived in the Congo for twenty five years. Both were very dear to me and I have been enriched by the close personal connection to the third world through them. Our family lived with a clear understanding of our responsibility as extended family to give generously to enrich their lives – giving to our dear ones so that they could in turn be generous where they lived in these far away places. It was always our undrstanding that we were not to spend all of our money on ourselves but that we were to be as generous as we could in gifts to those in the greatest need.

God is endlessly creative and as I’ve been listening to Him for ways of being more generous here are some of the ideas He’s brought me in this last year:

• We decided to do something personal and long-term about the earthquake tragedy in Haiti by sponsoring a little five year old boy to go to school through Compassion.
• We asked a group of people we had at Dominion Hill if they would mind having one meal of only rice (to help us identify with the poor) and we donated what we would have spent on the meal to Compassion International (a non-profit dedicated to child sponsorship).
• I started a little shop at Dominion Hill called the Rwanda Shop where some of my friends who are artists have donated some of their work with 100% of the profits sent to a Vineyard family from our region who are church planting in Rwanda.
• I pick up garbage (and cans) as I jog down our road and I send my recycling money to Rwanda as well.
• Whenever I travel to disadvantaged countries I buy gifts for people from Christians there who are learning to support themselves.
• We help support some missionary friends who love the poor in northern Asia.
• I’ve been growing a vegetable garden for the last three years so that I have vegetables to give away locally as well as spending less ourselves on food. From the experience I’m gaining, I’m also hoping to be able to teach the poor in our area how to grow their own food.

These are some of our ideas – I welcome you to share some of yours. It is so wonderful to be encouraged by God’s creativity in each other!

May God’s Kingdom come to this earth in many big and small ways.

Joy