The ripples unfold

Florida Baptist Children’s Homes recently received the following letter from a woman who lived at their Lakeland campus from age 13 to 15. Now 22, she expects to earn a bachelor’s degree in art later this year from Lakeland’s Florida Southern College.

To be able to tell you how your services have blessed me is a great honor and I praise God for the loving hearts He has given each of you. I am blessed not by the material things you are able to supply me with, but by how far His giving goes through your services, which is farther than our understanding of life.

Last night, God showed me a glimpse of what His giving does. As you may know, I occasionally come to you asking permission to collect clothing items for my family. Last night I had given them their Christmas gifts early. “Why not?” I thought. “Their gifts are clothing, which they can start wearing tomorrow.” My sister Stacey is 12 and has not yet comprehended thankfulness, but to my surprise may just understand what is more important in life. Her comment about gifts: “It doesn’t matter, it’s about the time spent with family.” I pray Stacey feels as special as my brother felt when he opened the boxes that held his new clothes. He became very thankful and, because of his thankfulness, I am more insistent about thanking God for what He will do for Jesse, Stacey and Mom.

I want each of you to know—know it in your hearts—that what you do every day is building links to Jesus in others’ lives. You work for a great cause and, because of that, never lose sight of God! I know He will bless you, for I am blessed every day as I am given the opportunity to be a living testimony for Him.

My family will always be in need in the material sense, but I pray as they see their needs being met that they will see Jesus in one form or another. Your services have blessed me by opening a door, showing me Jesus’ provision for them and helping me understand that it is not my place to always provide for them but it is my calling to love them continually, so that one day they will let God take full control of their lives. Doing this, my trust and humbleness in God takes up a whole new playing field in my life.

Continue to let the ripples unfold through your services while always asking “What Would Jesus Do?” To me, each of you is a gift. Thank you for serving Jesus.

Ginamarie Leeann Gloe