We have a Blessing Box in our neighborhood. It's a box at the entrance of the neighborhood to share what you have with others. A few months ago, I noticed the "bean lady" had returned and filled the box with bags of dry beans of all kinds...and well, there they sat, week after week. Week after week I would see them and one day I said; "I see them Lord, but I don't know what you want me to do with them?"
My husband had lost his job and there wasn't any extra to fill the box but week after week I kept seeing those beans. Then it hit me and took all of them home. Yep, I took all of them! Not to feed my family, but to give what I did have.
I created easy how to cook recipe cards, and packaged spices to go with each recipe. My sister found a great deal on cornbread and ordered a case and said, "do what you want with these!' I added a note of encouragement, the recipe cards, packaged everything up in a zip lock bag and placed back in the box. The next day, I posted on the neighborhood page that the beans were ready for pick up with easy instructions. People began messaging me they received a bag and what a blessing it was. They had been seeing them too but did not know how to cook. Yes, recipes are available everywhere, but when you're down, when you're picking up beans to feed your family, often, you don't have the mental capacity to research a recipe let alone learn how to cook.
One lady received the bag with lintels and a recipe to BBQ them, place in a baking dish, add the cornbread to the top then bake according to package directions. I add easy sides to have with it that are budget friendly or items I've seen our families get from the food bank. The lady who received the lintels messaged me and was in tears that her kids loved them and they did not even know they were lintels. "I never knew they could be so good! THANK YOU!"
Often, it's easy to look at what we don't have, but stop and look at what you do have. What talent do you have? What gift has God given you that you can use to bless someone?
I'm no different than you, God just showed me what to do that day, so I did and I'm sure He's directed you too. Often when I see the beans piling up, I'll print more recipes and package them again.
What can you do this week to be a blessing to others, using what you have? In the comment, share with us and maybe you'll spark and idea for someone.
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