WORDS: Message a Friend in Need

At the end of my first week, I felt good about my journey of giving. The only problem I had was what I would do on Saturday. Food banks and soup kitchens are typically closed. Because I hadn't yet developed a repertoire of giving ideas, I found myself reaching out to a local Facebook Friend I knew had been sick. 
1. EFFORT:  
No real effort required.  
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2. TIME:
Ten-fifteen minutes on your phone of computer.

3. MONEY: 
No money required
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4. EXAMPLE:  
I opened Facebook Messanger and typed the following words:

My plan was to make this an hard-work task. I'd recently cleaned refrigerators for the soup kitchen; I was willing to clean her house if she asked. 

She responded that she didn't need anything, but was extremely grateful to be thought about. This was when I realized the third category of giving; encouraging words. A couple days later I repeated this same activity with seven more  people:
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• Two had recent health issues
• One was going through a divorce
• Two were doing great things in the community
• Two were people I had not thanked in a long time.

I encourage you to try it. And if you are not on Facebook or Linked In or the dozen of other social media sites, you probably have e-mail. Giving doesn't have to be limited to the days we have a ton of time or money. Expressing genuine love only cost you a thought. You will find encouraging others lifts not only their spirit, but yours as well. 

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