Esther 9 - Joy = Giving

So the Jews have victory and and declare a celebration, but I love the most about all of this is the way they choose to celebrate. Let's look at what verse 22 reads, "He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts to each other and to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy."(emphasis mine) 


I love that in recognition of their joy, the response is to give gifts. Not just to each other, but also to the poor. When I look around at society today, I see many people who also celebrate holidays in this way, focusing on others, but I also see those who focus on themselves. I often ask myself, how this world would be different if all people were more focused on themselves than others, even if it was just on holidays. Could we have times when no one went hungry and no one felt like they weren't cared for? And if we could do that a few days of the year, couldn't we do it for everyday?


Statistically, there is enough food grown on the earth for each person to eat and not go hungry. The problem is that we have many places where food sits on shelves and as it gets old, some of it is thrown out and there are other places where people walk miles to get a few mouthfuls of cooked grain...or find that there is nothing left for them.


I don't have the answers or the solutions, but I pray that God will provide them. But I do want to highlight a program that a bunch of people I know are doing, and could be done by people all over, if they could spare a little bit of time each week. These people have set up a deal with a local Big Y grocery story and once a week they pick up the leftover bakery products and deliver them to ministry that feeds the poor. I happen to know that the local Stop & Shop also has groups that pick up the older baked goods regularly and deliver them to a variety of places that need them. 


So I ask you, does your local grocery store do this? If they don't and would be willing, could you find four other friends, and each one of you pick up these baked good once a months and deliver them someplace where they could be used to feed those in need? How would this spread? Could your example spark a change much greater than yourself?


I challenge you to pray. Maybe God has a different plan for you, but look around and listen to God's call and see how you can celebrate the joy your have in the Lord by giving gifts to others and the poor!