Do Good Anyway...
Down here in the South we are well versed in the art of giving. Before we were able to form full sentences we had already heard the phrase “Gimme some sugar” more times than we care to count.
Fast forward to your favorite childhood years. You would wake up with big plans to play until dark only to have your Mama interrupt your agenda, and send you next door to "give" your neighbor a couple of eggs & a stick of butter. Of course your neighbor wasn’t gonna drive all the way back into town, and she was baking a cake to "give" to the church bake sale.
When Sunday arrived it was time to gather up your pocket change to "give" to Jesus. With mostly the bake sale on your mind, you set out in your Sunday best to do the Christian thing.
Even when you had to share with your siblings you could hear your Mama remind you that “God loves a cheerful giver”. I’m sure I was guilty of muttering under my breath that “God loves a reluctant giver just the same”. Either way you just hush & do what your Mama says.
Those days are so far behind me, but the values that have been ingrained in my life are still there. Of course there was definitely a time in my life where I didn’t do my fair share because I didn’t feel like I had enough to give. I think everyone goes through that. Life is all about learning, and I don’t think we ever stop.
A major learning experience for me was the year our baby girl was born. When we found out about her condition a lot of things changed for us. We have spent countless hours in doctors offices and therapy facilities. It’s funny how when your world is crashing down on you, you walk into a place like that & suddenly you appreciate the mess that is your own. Waiting rooms full of parents, children, and sickness. It’s everywhere. I leave those places with a heavy heart. How can there be so much of this? What is going on in the world & how can I help?
If you have spent any time around me you are aware that I’m an avid listener of The Bobby Bones Show. They are a morning radio show out Nashville, Tennessee. Seriously I talk about these people like they’re my friends. My husband has finally realized we don’t actually have a friend named Bobby. It’s Bobby from the show. The Bobby Bones Show is always raising money for many causes, but one that stood out to me was St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I would hear person after person go on the show, and pour out their hearts about what St. Jude means to them. I would hear about the families they have helped. I would watch videos of Kelsea Ballerini walk into hospital rooms, and sing with the little girls who idolize her. Everything I heard reminded me of those waiting rooms I had been sitting in for so many years. It reminded me of the families that would do anything to help their child. St. Jude is doing this huge thing for these families, and I wanted to be a part of it. I started occasionally donating to St. Jude through their website, and then one night while watching TV one of their commercials came on. My husband, who is mostly unaffected by anything other than college football, looked at me & said “Babe we need to send these people some money”. I decided then and there to commit to a monthly donation. We do what we can, and while we probably aren’t moving mountains, we are supporting a cause that we connected with. That’s important to us. We get monthly updates from St. Jude along with testimonies from the families they are helping. You can click HERE if you are interested in ways to donate. Let's save some lives!
Another cause I love to support was also introduced to me by….yep, Bobby Bones & Friends. Listening to the show I learned a lot about Bobby’s Co-Host Amy. I think you guys should definitely take the time to read her story. She has opened up about the loss of her mother, and the “PIMPIN JOY” movement. She has also let the listeners in on her 5 year process of adopting two {flippin’ adorable} kids from Haiti, and in doing so created an opportunity to support the orphanage there. Her journey is truly a story of finding beauty through pain. These causes along with many others are now being supported through an online store, “The Shop Forward”. Click HERE to visit the website. I absolutely love how founder, Meri Barnes, is continually changing their efforts based on what’s going on in our crazy world. They have supported hurricane victims, wounded veterans, orphanages, St. Jude, cancer foundations, and the list goes on. Talk about making a difference! The Shop Forward is changing lives, and you can help. Here are a few of the items I’ve invested in to support the causes that are important to me.
At the time I purchased this #PIMPINJOY tee, proceeds were going to support Captain Nathan Nelson, hero Air Force vet who was injured in Afghanistan. Enough money was raised to build his family a custom built home.
The #4thingstote.
I LOVE this one. You pick your four words. All proceeds go to help spread hope in Haiti.
All proceeds went to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas last year.
This one was obviously near & dear to my heart. Hurricane Irma ripped through our entire state last year. We were fortunate & didn't sustain much damage, but so many others couldn't say the same. So grateful for those standing by ready to help.
See! Super cute stuff! I'm gonna shop. It's one of the things I love to do, and this way I'm GIVING BACK! I encourage you to go and find your cause & give. A wise woman once said “No one has ever become poor from giving”.
Now go share some love.