Open Hands Ministries is a church outreach in Pinetops, North Carolina.
Their goal is to provide free clothing, household items, baby items, and food for people who need them.
This outreach enriches the lives of the community in two ways. Those in need, obviously, get their needs met. They get a helping hand up out of the misery that so easily envelops those who struggle for life’s basic needs.
Those who give to Open Hands Ministries get just as much. Certainly, they don’t need the shoes, household items, and such. They have plenty, hence their part in keeping the outreach stocked with supplies.
Those who give get an emotional and spiritual satisfaction, a sense of community and of doing good for those who struggle to do for themselves.
Consider how Jesus must have felt when he came to earth to provide new life for humanity. His was the ultimate open hand.
Ephesians 4:7-8 reveals the story.
“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ ”
Just as Open Hands Ministries in Pinetops can give out greater gifts when they receive more donations, so we are given spiritual gifts according to what Christ gave us.
Jesus gave everything, including his life. How great must be the grace that flows over us each time we open our hearts unto him?
Christ offers his open hand today. It carries his grace, which is greater than all our wrongs, all our failures, and all our circumstances.
It’s given to us for free, to enrich our lives and to enable us to enrich those around us.
Christ waits on us. There’s no reason to delay.
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