I believe the Lord prepares our hearts long before He reveals His plans for us. As a director of an International feeding program for impoverished children for over a decade, I have seen first hand the difference a gift – even the smallest gift – can make. High5Give5 began with a five dollar gift. A colleague’s (rather entrepreneurial) 7 year old son went out and sold some of his toys door to door
. After making an impressive 17 dollars, he said he didn’t feel right about keeping all the money for himself. Without hesitation, he decided to give me 5 dollars (along with the sweetest hand-written note) to help feed the “poor kids.” I was so touched by his pure heart and simple faith – Like the young boy in the gospels who gave Jesus his three fish and five loaves of bread – a simple offering which Jesus multiplied and fed over five thousand people! I started sharing this story with friends, and it wasn’t long before another child – this time a little girl – sent me another 5 dollars writing:
“Take a chance on 5 and see how much more arrives”
With that simple challenge of faith, our mission came into clear focus. Soon, more people (from New York to Kosovo) were giving me more five dollars, because they too wanted to help the poor. It is a common belief that this “selfie” generation has become so self absorbed that they are numb to human empathy and caring about the needs of others. But I believe that when given the chance and the right tools – young people can be a powerful force for Christ’s selfless love and healing. The world’s problems are complex, and the needs of the morbidly poor are endless. But at High5Give5, we take to heart the Lord’s words: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zech 4:10a)
Join us in our mission to help those in need; and to raise up a new generation of young people who are ready, willing, and able to extend a hand – a “High 5” to love!
