Blessed to be a Blessing

The other day I was talking with a young woman who is passionate about serving God and helping battered women and women in trouble. She is a wonderful gal, but she is in difficult circumstances this summer as she is required by her Bible college to do an internship, but the internship doesn't pay. She's from a family that can't help her financially, and she is not allowed to work other jobs here because she is a citizen of her home country, in Africa. She will have literally no money left for college or for living expenses this summer, yet she feels that God wants her to work full-time with a crisis pregnancy/woman's shelter this summer for her internship. She isn't sure if she can send out support letters, and if she does, they will be non-tax-deductible. She was saying that she hardly knows any Americans to send support to, but if she sent letters to friends/churches in Africa, they would scrape and sacrifice direly-needed money and by the time it was converted to American funds it would be around $10 and hardly help her out. She also can't really take a year off of college to work since her school visa is for a set amount of time and when it's expired, that's it. Her goal is to return to her home country and be a missionary working with African women and children.

I was blessed by talking with this woman and hearing stories of how God is providing for her and what He is doing in her life. When I went home I felt God nudge me and tell me that I have been blessed in order to bless others. Being frugal and shopping the deals isn't about hoarding as much as I can for ME, and MY FAMILY and accumulating a huge stash I can brag about. I have so many things stocked in my gift box and in my pantry that I have gotten for free, or for hardly anything thanks to God's blessing. So, at God's leading, I filled a couple of bags for her of medicines, hygiene items, and non-perishable food and sent it back to her college with her. She nearly started crying when I handed her the bags. At first she said she was tempted by the enemy to think that I had thought she was begging when she was telling me her situation the other day. But then God spoke to her and reminded her that HE is the One providing and desiring to confirm HIS plans in her life and it is a gift from HIM. I hope that this small gift can in some way save her money on necessities and show her that God is taking care of her, even in the little things. I also hope we can support her financially this summer as I have a heart for pro-life ministry and yet don't always know how I can help since there isn't a crisis pregnancy center in our town and we don't have an abortion clinic nearby.
I write this story, not to brag about some good deed I did, because I honestly know it was God who laid the idea on my heart, and God who provided the stuff in the first place, but instead to share with my blog readers one way that they can use what they have to bless others. Many of you are coupon shoppers/deal shoppers and I hope those of you will be willing to share with people God brings into your life. And even if you don't have a lot, sometimes God will require to give up something that you would prefer to keep, or share something you think that you can't afford to, but He will bless you for your obedience!