Learning to Share

By now many of you have probably heard that the NIC Children’s Center will be utilizing some of the 1st Pres campus for their operation after experiencing the devastating loss of their building use located at the NIC campus. The building was heavily damaged by falling trees during the windstorm last month. If that weren’t enough, the falling trees caused the sprinkler system to go off, flooding the center in no time at all. 

Carley Walker

This facility is so important to Coeur d’Alene and to the surrounding communities! Quality childcare is provided for students and faculty alike. If you have young children, you have probably experienced the lack of quality care in our area. This is a huge issue for our community. As a parent, I can imagine the stress and anxiety that the families have felt while NIC has scrambled to find a location to serve their children.

I’ll admit it, I was pretty hesitant about this notion when it was first brought to my attention by Bonnie. Perhaps you have felt the same way, too? I mean, we all have so much pride in the newly renovated spaces. We’ve worked so hard to make these spaces just right for our purposes. So instead of my mind spiraling out of control thinking of all the hard work that would need to take place to allow NIC to have access to our spaces, or the “what if’s” of what might go wrong, I turned to God and to His Word. Here is what God showed me through his Word:

2 Corinthians 9: 6 – 8 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

1 John 3:17 (ESV)
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
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God has provided a wonderful facility for us to use to do HIS good work. Let’s bountifully sow seeds of love, compassion, and caring for the families in our community who need our help. Sure, we may even have to sacrifice a little bit, but the wonderful news is that God rejoices when we share what we have with a cheerful heart. So I don’t know about you, but as we prepare to share the campus with our community members, I for one will be sharing what God has provided with a heart filled with love and joy. We have no idea what the next few months are going to be like, but one thing I know is that God is working through our facility, staff, and church family for His purposes. I am excited to be a part of that, and I hope you are, too!
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In love and joy,
Carley