STEWARDSHIP NEWS

The Gifts We Give
 
The frenzy of gifts have been given and received. If we were fortunate enough to see the recipient’s face, we could tell immediately if our gift was received with joy or puzzlement. We gave to families who had little hope of receiving anything with the hope our gifts were received with joy but we may never know. The gifts we received and gave have been used, exchanged, stored or even re-gifted to others.

Every year we each receive the gift of hope and joy in the birth of Jesus. Advent was a time to prepare for the gift. Today I ask myself: How have I accepted and shared the gift of Jesus this advent season? The true test for me is how well I can accept the love of God, manifested in the birth of his son, and share it with others.

 I believe that I should spend this coming year re-gifting the hope and joy of the birth of Jesus. There are so many ways that I can accomplish this. I can spend more time strengthening Emmanuel so the church can bring God’s word to others. I can look for opportunities to invite others to join us on our journey to increase our knowledge of God. I can use the gift of money I have been entrusted with to help bring God’s Kingdom to our community. I am only limited by my willingness to explore the community I am living in.

The question for us at Emmanuel is, What will we do with God’s gifts?

 In God’s Peace, Peter Carson