What It Really Means to Give

from Chloe Northart
2019 S.O.W.E.R.S. Graduate

Have you ever had a moment when someone was so kind to you and so giving, and you just had no idea how to respond to them? That was the entirety of my experience in May on our Abound trip. Over the course of the two weeks we were gone, I saw people giving selflessly to help me, so that I could have a profitable trip, and they all gave in ways that I’ll never be able to give back. The most obvious demonstration of this happened while we were hitchhiking. For the most part, the people who picked us up didn’t change their routes. I still appreciate anyone who was willing to put three strangers in the back of their car, trusting us to not murder them. But they just drove along their planned routes and dropped us off when our paths diverged.

But there were a few people who completely blew me away. Alan drove us two hours out of his way after he’d worked a twelve-hour night shift at the coal mine. Joe and Yolanda drove us an hour and a half out of their way, taking us all the way through the final stretch to Roswell. Roy and Vicki drove us two hours out of their way, bought us a steak dinner and a motel room, and gave us $100 for the road. Justin drove us four hours out of his way, all the way back to the farm. We didn’t know any of these people. We’ll probably never see them again. They had nothing to gain from helping the three kids on the side of the highway, yet they chose to help us anyway. It’s been almost four months since this stuff happened, and I’m still trying to comprehend how somebody could be that kind and giving to complete strangers.

And it wasn’t just the hitchhiking where I saw people giving to help me. Up on the mountain, I was the only girl with five boys, so I often lagged behind everyone else. I got frustrated with myself every day. But no matter how far behind I got, all five of my mountaineering companions were incredibly patient. Every time I was ready to give up on something, Michael or Victor (or both) were right there with me to encourage me. Their confidence in my ability helped me believe that I could do all of these hard things. Their constant encouragement helped me to push myself, and I realized that I am capable of way more than I ever thought I could do. No amount of “thank-yous” from me can express how much I appreciate their help. I can’t repay them for their patience. All I can really do to thank them is try my best in every situation – to be the person that they think I can be.

It’s a weird feeling to sit and think about how much I owe to people who helped me. This trip was one of the best times of my life, and it wouldn’t have been the same without each and every single act of kindness. All of these people sacrificed their own time, money, and energy to help me out, and I didn’t do a thing to deserve it. Throughout the entire trip, I couldn’t stop thinking about the first few verses of I Corinthians chapter 13:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

Without love for each other, we are nothing. Without real, true, selfless, giving love for each other, we are nothing. I can memorize every chapter of the Bible and study every piece of Biblical research that’s ever been published and teach every Sunday, but none of that means a dang thing unless I can really love the body of Christ. Everything that I’ve learned this past year means nothing if I can’t give to my fellow believers the way they gave to me. That’s all I can really do to repay the people who were kind to me: follow their examples and give to the next person who needs help.