help us to give

Eighty-year-old Nadine asked quite a few questions after Niel and I shared about Thrive Africa at a small gathering of people in a friend's home. When the Q&A time wrapped up, someone asked if they could pray over us. Absolutely yes is always our answer. (We need all the prayers we can get!) As people prayed, my heart felt strengthened by their pleas for our health and strength, for increased wisdom and favor, for many more to be impacted through our ministry.

And then Nadine started to pray. She was crying so hard, it was difficult for her to stay composed. Her words were broken, separated by sniffles and sobs. But her short prayer was so powerful.

"Lord... thank You... that we can... be a part... of this. Help us... to give."

I couldn't help but smile as my eyes welled with tears. This sweet woman's prayer was for help to give. To get involved. To be a part.

Later, as she stuffed $40 into my hand, amid more tears, she told me, "I wish I could do more." She shared that her recent ailments have stopped her ability to engage in ministry and service like she used to; she was starting to feel useless, purposeless. "But now I know what I can do. I can give. And it's just like going."

Nadine's got it exactly right.

sydney

When Sydney, my friend Rachel's 4-year old daughter, saw me the other night (for the first time since she was 2!) she blurted out, "You cut your hair---I saw that on your blog!" I started laughing and she hugged my leg.

Rachel explained: She and Sydney sit together often to read my blog as well as look at pictures and updates on our ministry website. That just made my day.

Sydney regularly sends us her saved-up money as a donation "to help the kids in Africa." She even emails me every now and again to ask questions and learn more about what life is like there. (Important things like, "It's morning here. Does that mean it's night there?" and "What color are the school buses?")

Sydney showed me her newest project: She makes and sells necklaces to have extra money to give us. She proudly pulled $20 out of an envelope and presented it to me. Her hard-earned cash, going straight to Africa.

And yes. She's only 4.

As the evening started winding down, I told Sydney I was going to get my camera so we could take some pictures together. Her excited response was absolutely priceless.

"Oh good! Then you can put them on your blog!"

I love it. She knows me well.

So this, Sydney, is for you!

bonus points

It's been pretty cold the past few days here on Bainbridge Island, off the coast of Seattle. Cold enough for my friend to turn on the seat warmers in her SUV. I tend to be cold all the time, so I thoroughly enjoyed being heated from the bottom up. With only the front seats fitted with this feature, Niel was missing out in the back seat. I kept telling him how great it was and that it was too bad he wasn't able to experience it.

We parked at the restaurant and as I climbed out of the car, I excitedly told Niel, "Seriously. Feel my butt. It's so hot!"

"Baby... your butt is always hot."

My cheeks (the ones on my face!) instantly turned red and I started laughing. I turned around and gave Niel a high-five. My hombre certainly earned some bonus points with that one.

huh?

It was snowing when we arrived at the rental car agency in Denver. The ever-so-friendly associate showed us to our car, a red beast of an Expedition, as she ran through all the details of our rental agreement. "Sign here... and here... and here."

Niel compliantly signed in each spot.

"Now, would you like the basic insurance or the full insurance?"

Niel asked the question that would be on everyone's mind at this point: "What's the difference between the basic and full?"

She quickly replied, "I'd suggest the basic. You really only need the full insurance if you're going to get into an accident."

What's the craziest thing you've heard this week?

authenticity

"Unfortunately, sometimes we have to be who we need to be and not who we are." Niel and I were discussing the fact that much of what we do on these fundraising trips is very... not us. I asked him if he thinks it's unauthentic for us to spend so much time engaging in activities that are against our nature. That's when he made the statement that sometimes we have to just be who we need to be rather than who we really are.

It left me feeling as though we are being disingenuous in some way.

• When I have lengthy small-talk conversations, am I wrongly giving the impression that I naturally enjoy that sort of thing?
• When I speak in a church, am I painting an artificial portrait of what I feel comfortable doing?
• When I spend more time talking in one day than I normally would in a week, am I being insincere?

I guess I've been pondering where the line is between a lack of authenticity and doing what needs to be done.

My conclusion (so far) is that it's not so much that I'm being artificial as it is that I'm emphasizing certain areas of my personality as needed. My friendliness and warmth aren't fabricated; they're just being expressed more often and in ways that don't come natural to me.

What do you think?