But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, Matthew 6:3

I know you aren’t supposed to talk about your gifts to people and organizations. Scripture says just GIVE without giving a boast about it. Technically, hide your giving from yourself even… Yet the opportunity I had this weekend beget the biggest smile and joy – was just too awesome not to share – so I’m sharing. (But I didn’t tell my mom, lol)…

When you give, give from the heart and give from being smart and give to fill in a missing part.

I gave a person, yes a stranger, who was a vendor at a local festival, one of my well-used beach umbrellas – for her and her daughter to take to the jersey shore. We started chatting about stuff, which is always appreciated at low key events with time to spare. My mom had just gone in the store and even though she is even more chatty than I, she opted out of this conversation… My mom also probably felt this vibe of me being too chatty, but it was ok… Well, our conversation about summer turned into a conversation of birthdays and that the woman’s teenage daughter was a fan of the TV show “Jersey Shore” (she said “don’t judge, lol”, LOL). well – a “coincidence” – I had just been to the shore, just the day before. The woman said her daughter had never seen the ocean but longed to do so… to go experience and explore the shore… It is a little far away, 5-6 hrs or more for them, not just a day trip, from this area. (I understood that from growing up without a beach). And so she said when the daughter was presented with the choice between an adventure birthday family trip to the shore or a regular party, the daughter chose adventure… Cool… Shore is Cool…

I privately thought, well yeah I could get another umbrella much easier than this woman, me being so close to the shore now. Half the time I use my friend’s anyway. So I snuck back to the car (not really sneaking) to get it and bring it back, slightly stealth from my mom seeing the exchange, under stealth from telling her too for no good reason except I just didn’t want that conversation of “you got too involved in that”… well, mums the word..  that’s why I have to tell someone, it’s good to have a blog!!!

The JUMP FOR JOY from that teen daughter, whom happened to be there across the field, was IMMEASURABLE and a testimony to JOY in the experiences and anticipation of LIFE. It was worth it. An umbrella love. In the moment. She beamed and JUMPED for JOY when her mom called to her and held up the umbrella… Cool…

It’s not just that we chatted nicely like you would at these country down-home festivals (I was at 2 of them this weekend), and not just because of our chatting about Christian camp meetings, and not just because of the added expense of an umbrella to their trip already, it was simply a great small birthday present that I thought I could add into the mix of their adventure. Right place right time to make an impact. 

Yes, I had just been at the jersey shore the previous day under my friend’s bigger umbrella. I thought here of being in the moment that I could add a tiny bit into a mix of fun, even though I know they could have rented one or bought one… It is an umbrella love of life – and of all people who enjoy life. I love the beach and how close I am to it. I told them about the lighthouse to climb and the differences in the boardwalks with amusement parks and those without. I know the energy and even milestone of seeing the ocean, which we never grow tired of, and the JOY OF LIFE. . . Would you give an old $10 umbrella too? Umbrella love for a birthday? I think so… cool.  

Jesus was with His people who were listening intently when His mother was trying to pull Him out of the crazy congested scene. It’s probably less criticism and more concern of Jesus in DEEP: “But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35

Isn’t that showing and tapping into an UMBRELLA LOVE, Jesus showed and has love that covers better than an umbrella – it covers like a rain soaked seeping in love… Strangers in the room to each other and Jesus’s family – but not to Jesus. Strangers for us are only strangers here as we will see them in heaven for shore… Jesus said “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – YEAH… Yeah, Jesus knows them all: “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.“

Cool.  

Shore felt good to share some umbrella love too….

AMEN and thank you Jesus for leading the Way of Love