We Need You - The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional

We Need You

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

I paused as I got ready to share a message on social media in mid-December, reading it through once more before pressing the “post” button. I had received the list of unadopted families earlier that morning, but knowing my family couldn’t handle it all ourselves, I asked for help:

We need you! Each year, Place of Hope homeless shelter adopts families and individuals in need. Again this year, there are a few families who have yet to be adopted, and with the deadline looming, we would love to have everyone receive gifts. There are a couple of families left, but the majority of folks are single or couples without kids. A quick glance over their wish lists shows that although some dream of big electronics, most are asking for gift cards from places like Coborn’s or Walmart and necessities like socks, razors, and sleepwear. Would you be willing to take on a single person, couple, or family? Wrapped presents need to be dropped off by Friday. Also, please share this with others!

Within hours, the information had been shared by several friends on their Facebook pages, and I received a flurry of messages in response. By the following day, all the remaining families had been adopted by friends and acquaintances, near and far. The most thoughtful message came from an old high school friend, now living and working in Zurich, who offered to send a bank transfer if someone else was willing to do the shopping locally.

One friend, after adopting a family that Christmas, messaged me again the next fall. “How can we do this again?” she wondered. “My family and I would love to adopt a family each Christmas. Who should I contact?”

Sometimes, all kindness requires of us is to bring awareness to others. I didn’t need to buy gifts for all of the remaining families myself—I simply had to ask others to help fill the gap. When we are persistent, when we keep seeking, knocking, and asking, we can be sure that God will answer us. What needs are you aware of that you can bring to the attention of others?

—Kristin

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Raise awareness of a need, and ask others to help you work toward meeting it.