April 26, 2019 | Impact
For the fifth year in a row, LifeGuide’s “Share the Blessing” campaign was a great success! We want to thank all those who partnered with us to bless our local community in this unique way. Over the next five weeks, we will be sharing the touching stories from this year’s campaign. We were inspired and amazed by this year’s stories, and we think you will be too!
As a reminder, during this past Christmas season, we sent $75 to a number of randomly selected clients to personally share with an individual or family in need of an unexpected blessing.
Please find below the fifth selection of stories.
Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help an older couple – he is blind & has Parkinson’s. In his late 50’s he went to LBC to be a pastor; he is 65 now. The debt from school & low income leaves them on edge. They are very frugal and responsible. When I gave the $75 and some extra that we added, the wife was in tears. Thanks for allowing us to join in your generosity.
Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help “Cole,”, age 11, and his parents. Cole was just diagnosed with Lymphoma and has begun chemo. He is one of seven children. His mom teaches at a small Christian school, and his dad teaches through cyber school. This boy and his family were recommended to me by a girlfriend who knows them. They are going through a very difficult time and they greatly appreciated the extra blessings. I added to the blessings of LifeGuide, and my friend did as well.
I was able to help a family (mom and three kids) from our local high school. The Blessing was helpful for them because the mother had reached out, stating that the family had recently gone through some tough times that really changed their financial situation. I’ve known the high school student since she was an elementary student. Then her family moved to a neighboring district. This year they moved back. The high school student commented that the people in her other district did not seem to care as much as the people in our do. Thanks for encouraging a spirit of giving during the holiday season!
As we prayed about this opportunity, no one seemed to come to mind, so we decided to practice something our kids’ youth group does from time to time. We went to Walmart, prayed together as a family and asked the Lord to guide us to the person He wanted to be blessed. As we were “shopping” we noticed a pair of ladies who were shopping together for some children. They were obviously being purposeful, all the while spreading love & cheer by being very kind to all those around them. It was clear that their shopping was meant to give someone a special Christmas blessing. We talk a lot to our kids about how the Lord meets our needs & blesses us, even when we least expect it. This was a special opportunity for our kids to partner with the Lord in blessing someone who wasn’t expecting it. The ladies were shocked & humbled when we explained about the blessing you had allowed us to share. With teary eyes, the one lady gave us hugs and thanked us before they were on their way. We pray that the blessing we gave (from you) will be multiplied to bless many more by these ladies.
Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help a young couple with three young children: a 13-year old boy, a 6-year old boy, and a 16-month old girl. It was helpful for them because the father lost his job with a landscaping company. They had many additional expenses this year. It was heartwarming to know that the family will be having Christmas dinner and the children will have Christmas gifts. We were blessed to share this gift. Thank you, LifeGuide.
We were able to help a young family whose newborn child entered the world with an unexpected genetic disorder. This disorder will be lifelong and require daily attention. The family was a recent participant in our Financial Peace class. Since the child’s birth, the family is required to make weekly trips to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These are the emergencies that we discuss in Financial Peace that we pray no family must realize in life. They also have a special formula cost monthly that isn’t covered by insurance. This gave us an opportunity to experience the feeling of living and giving like no one else. It also meant a lot walking away from their home that evening knowing that God was at work. I would like to thank LifeGuide for such an awesome idea.
Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help “Dean,” an adult college student who has struggled for years to get his degree due to ongoing medical and social issues. The Blessing was helpful for him because he has not worked for several years and has been living off dwindling savings that are now gone. He is in his last semester and will graduate in May 2019. The “Blessing” helped him purchase books he needed to finish his classes. The Lord placed on our hearts to match the Share the Blessing amount, so the blessing was double. The recipient was surprised and felt very special that someone reached out to help him. Thank you for including us this year to be a part of God’s blessing on a life that needed not only the money but also just a touch of encouragement and caring.
I was able to deposit the money into a new savings account for a sister-in-law & niece who are having financial difficulties. This was a step of encouragement as they begin (hopefully) to make positive changes in managing money. The Blessing was helpful because it gave them an initial boost / getting off on the right foot. Hopefully, momentum (along with other changes) will continue and prove to other family members that they are trying. Relationships have become strained over time. I’ve taken it upon myself to act as a coach and intermediator to keep family united (communicating) and holding sister-in-law and niece accountable to the plans to correct and improve their way of life. A rocky road, a lot of poor habits/thought processing, and some degree of denial make this a real challenge. Thank you for this opportunity to help this family with so many needs.
Thank you for operating the “Share the Blessing” program, and for including my wife and me in it. I wanted to share that we chose to match the LifeGuide gift and give the total to a cousin of mine for whom 2018 was a terrible year. After being falsely accused of sexually molesting a child, he was imprisoned from March until December when he was eventually acquitted. In the meantime, he lost his job, his home, his dignity, and his reputation. His photo was published by newspapers and websites, together with the crimes of which he was accused. When he was acquitted, there were no articles published about that. It’s a sobering real-life story about what can happen in the “me too” age where false accusers can destroy another person’s life. We received a gracious thank-you note from my cousin. In it, he noted the importance of family during difficult times, and he said he will continue to try to clear his name and “move forward positively.” We extend his thanks to you, and your interest in blessing those who really need someone to reach out to them with a caring gift.
We were able to help a young mother with two small boys our church has been praying for recently. She left her husband and a relationship that was abusive and kept her from her own family. He was of another nationality and he used his beliefs to keep her away from others. Our church was able to help her give her children their first Christmas, and I’m hoping this money will help this family pick up and move into a better life. She needs furniture and household items as well as food & clothing for the children. She has been overwhelmed by all the blessings God has bestowed on them! This was special for the fact that we could match your gift and be able to help someone who was in such need and didn’t have to ask for this! It was just something we could do with no strings attached. It makes you sit back and look at what you have and to be thankful for all that you have! This idea is such a great one and it was a pleasure to be involved in making someone feel awesome and know that there are still good people in the world. Our God is an awesome God! We may make this a tradition in our home!
Share the Blessing…I have failed miserably in executing this program. Unfortunately, my wife and I weren’t able to get fully engaged prior to Christmas and then all of our kids were home for a period. But, the main cause of my failure is that I have a very closeted group of friends and acquaintances. I don’t know anyone, nor interact with anyone, who is really in need. It has been very convicting to recognize this. It goes hand in hand with some of the issues we are working through in the CS Lewis Institute. We did an Urban Plunge in January where we spent an evening with the mobile van dispensing food and other items to the homeless in Harrisburg. I’m committed to doing better and spending time helping with several of the organizations that we have been supporting financially for many years. But alas, I couldn’t dispense LifeGuide’s Share the Blessing. It is a great initiative and I applaud your company for its generosity. I will be returning the funds, and if you should choose to involve us next year hoping I will be successful.
I want to share with you the blessing I received when I passed on the money you gave me to share. I gave the gift to a wonderfully strong lady at my church. Her situation was very difficult and unstable. She quit her RN job because she was afraid of error due to excessive hours and lack of sleep. She is a mother of two wonderful Christian teenagers. Their electric was turned off and she was close to eviction. While this was happening, her Brother who has mental health issues, stopped taking his medication. He became a mess and tried to strangle his 9-year-old son. She stepped in and got temporary custody of her nephew. All of this happened around Christmas. When we first met her nephew, he was just a scared little thing. Now you should see him at AWANA on Wednesday nights! It was great to anonymously help her because she unselfishly helps others. She has been accepted into a group that is working to get her employment and secure housing. A great big God Bless You as you continue to find ways to share His love with others.
All included names have been changed to maintain anonymity.
“Share the Blessing” is not part of LifeGuide Financial Advisors’ advisory services but a campaign where participation and sharing of stories is voluntary. For information about LifeGuide’s advisory services, please refer to our ADV-Disclosure Brochure.