When we learned that the Second Harvest Food Bank facility in Asheville had been destroyed through the wrath of Hurricane Helene, we had a group of church members who banded together to collect food items, household goods, and monetary contributions. In less than 24 hours, people responded by giving in generous measures to our brothers and sisters in Western North Carolina. It was amazing to see how much we were able to donate to our Winston-Salem Second Harvest Food Bank facility that was having a citywide drive yesterday. It was like seeing Jesus in action through the efforts of hundreds of people! I thought of the insightful Bible verse: "Give, and it will be given to you" (Luke 6: 38). Over the years, I've discovered that people who give in unselfish ways, invariably are the most joyous. Our peace comes most abundantly when we give, as God's grace empowers us to do kind acts of love for Jesus.
"When I consider the cross of Christ, how can anything I do be called sacrifice? You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving." (Amy Carmichael, the Christian missionary to India for 55 years)
Bill Shields
FMPM Steering Committee Member