“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV
Devotional About Giving – Day 1
Mallory had bounced around from foster home to foster home. She’d never known what it was like to have a stable family, to have a father who lovingly tucked a blanket around her, or a mother who tenderly cared for her during a cold.
She found herself feeling left out, always on the outside longing to be let in. Until the day that Brooke and her family moved into the apartment across the hall from Mallory.
Although Brooke was busy caring for her young sons and helping her husband build a business, she felt drawn to help Mallory.
Knowing the younger woman was alone prompted Brooke to invite her to join her family during the Thanksgiving holiday. That holiday dinner quickly turned into weekly dinners. As time passed, Mallory found the hole that had always been in her heart was slowly closing.
When one of her foster fathers passed away, Mallory felt sad. It was a reminder of the strength and stability of a father, a love that she hadn’t received as a child. She shared her feelings with Brooke. “The only inheritance I have is brokenness and pain.”
Brooke wrapped her arms around Mallory in a tight hug, “Your Heavenly Father has left to you a rich inheritance, one that’s filled with all the love and compassion in the world.”
God, help me to remember that You are the One who surrounds the lonely and the outcasts with love. Let me be an instrument of that love for someone else.
