Giving Like God Gives

As a young girl, I learned how to be selfless and generous from my mother. During the Great Recession, a family friend of ours lost her home. Our friend and her young daughter had nowhere to go. My mother opened up our home to her family until she could get back up on her feet. She stayed with us rent-free with zero conditions for nearly a year. I always look back on that year with much fondness. During her stay, our relationship evolved from friends to family. I learned about giving through my mother’s act of great generosity.

Now that the Lenten season is upon us, it’s time to talk about the ways in which we can practice Lent. Catholics have three main practices during Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent is a time of penance. We reflect on the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and celebrate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. When preparing for Lent, I often get fixated on what I’m giving up (fasting). But Lent is also a season to take up things that glorify God and His heart. Last year, I shared how I planned on fasting for lent. This year, I want to shine a light on a practice that is equally as important — almsgiving.

What is Almsgiving?

Almsgiving is the act of giving to others (no matter the situation or the person) in a way that pleases the heart of God. The purpose of almsgiving is to learn how to give like God gives and deepen our trust that God will meet our needs. Almsgiving is beautifully taught through this story:

In this Lenten season, we are challenged to give more. Reflect on this: Why do we give? Is it to feel better about ourselves? Or do we seek to be generous and give in the way that God gives so generously to us? It might be intimidating to give more than just our surplus wealth, but believe me, boundless generosity is far more fruitful.

How I Plan to Give

There are so many ways to give. Whether it is your time, money, or talents, there is no “right” way to give to others. After some deep reflection, I have committed to giving in the following ways this Lenten season:

GivE to ukraine

My heart aches for the worsening situation in Ukraine. Along with my parish’s young adult community, I am praying the Novena for Peace in Ukraine. In addition to the Novena, I wanted to take greater action in assisting the Ukrainian people by donating to an emergency relief fund/nonprofit organization. Ukrainian families are in deep need of food, shelter, and medicine. Donating to a non-profit that is stationed to serve the Ukrainian people is a practical way to support our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. There are several non-profits to choose from:

1. Save the Children
2. Global Empowerment Mission
3. World Central Kitchen
4. Global Giving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund
5. International Rescue Committee

Pick a charity whose mission and work speaks to your heart. I committed to a monthly donation for Save the Children. Currently, Save the Children emergency response program helps Ukrainian children and their families by supporting their access to education, providing psychosocial support, distributing winter kits and hygiene kits, and providing cash grants to families so they can meet basic needs. Whether it is a one-time or monthly donation, give as much as you can. I’m doing it on an academic salary. If I can, so can you!

dedicate more time to volunteering

I am an avid volunteer in my community. On an average week, roughly 12 hours of my life is dedicated to volunteering. But I know that I can do more. For Lent, I want to commit more time to the charities that I regularly volunteer for.

• Board Member of Rapid Response Housing Solutions: Lead and challenge my team of Cal State San Marcos undergraduate seniors to learn more and think creatively on implementing a direct cash transfer program for families in crisis.
• CASA Volunteer of Voices for Children: Spend more time doing fun activities with my foster kid (i.e., going to the beach, visiting museums, hiking, etc.)
• Session Leader of the Prison Education Project: Teach a career development and introduction to college class for juveniles at Indio Juvenile Facility.

Cook for my family & Friends

I want to make a habit of cooking more for my family and friends, especially my parents. My mom loves to cook and so do I. But cooking at home tends to be a challenge for me because my mom likes to dominate the kitchen. I want to make a greater effort to cook for my mom and dad throughout the week so that they can rest. Plus, it would be nice to develop more recipes in the kitchen and strengthen my cooking skills!

donate my unwanted clothes

My closet is a labyrinth. Over the years, I have collected so many pieces that there is hardly any room left in my closet to store them. I want to declutter and break my attachment to the unwanted pieces of clothing that I own. Lord knows that I can’t wear them all. It would be better to give them away to someone who would actually get some good use out of them.

Further my involvement in my parish

Beyond singing in the choir and helping out with confirmation, I want to grow my parish’s young adult group. Attending SEEK made me fired up to spread the gospel and inspire other young adults to join me in the pursuit of heaven. Prior to leaving for Spain, I had a discussion with the young adult coordinator, music director, and a friend about growing our young adult community. The three of us decided to forge a team and work together on building community at St. Elizabeth Seton. We definitely have a lot of work cut out for us, but I am excited to see what the future holds.

So, how can you give like God gives? I hope that this post inspires you and gives you a few creative ideas on how to give this Lenten season. If you’re stuck in a rut, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to best give this year. Remember, the Lord knows your heart and seeks to bring out the best in you.

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Emily

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