40acts: The Lent Generosity ChallengeSample

Sometimes life throws up obstacles that come between our generous intentions and our actions – anything from an overflowing to-do list to a life-changing diagnosis. 

Kindness comes in all shapes and sizes. Taking time to pray for someone in your day – which Jesus often did, praying for the disciples and even praying for all believers (John 17) – or texting someone to say that you are thinking of them will have a transformative impact on that person. 

Life throws many challenges at us, whether it be health or just a crazy day, but knowing God is taking care of us, we can focus on showing God’s love to others.

In November 2017 I had just come back from a national church weekend away convinced that God was about to call me to face something big and exciting. He was. A week later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I have followed the 40acts challenge for about three years now and blogged about my failures and my little successes. By the time Lent rolled around in 2018 I had already had my lumpectomy and chemotherapy was about to begin. ‘Why should I get involved this year?’ I thought. 

The opening sentences of the first act reminded me why: In the most extraordinary act of generosity the world will ever know, God offered His son, Jesus, as a gift to all. We need only say thank you. 

God is good. God is loving. I believed that before my cancer diagnosis. I believed it no less after it. But how could I repay that generosity to others in my situation – going back and forth to hospital, spending a week in bed and two weeks feeling fairly lousy again before the next chemo appointment rolled round?

I learned that being generous is possible even when debilitated. I realised that generosity is a conscious act of focusing on others, rather than myself. 

Holding others up to God, even just repeating their names while dropping off to sleep, was sometimes all I could manage, but I knew that He would honour my intentions.

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Even in the toughest times, we always have opportunities to give. How can you be generous today, from right where you sit?

Find more about today’s 40acts challenge on our blog:  https://40acts.org.uk/act-21-from-your-seat/