The Gift that Gives Back

I stated in in my "Wish Bucket" blog that I would like to give away a large amount of money to someone. (No...I don't have that "Large amount yet" just in case you were thinking I hit the lottery. )
But I did something last weekend that made me feel really good. And reminded me why I have that listed in my "Wish Bucket".

I played in a golf tournament to help support Make a Wish Foundation last weekend. I played the previous year with the same team (Wonderfully Good People) and we came in 2nd place....and as always ...we gave the money we won back to the Make a Wish Foundation. This year we came in 1st place and again gave the money back to the foundation. It always feels good when you "give". Doesn't matter what its for, whether its a gift for Christmas, or helping a someone out when they need it, they all make us feel really good on the inside.

So I cant help but think how that not only pleases our own hearts, but I also think God makes us feel good when we give because its what he wants us to do...our reward so to speak. And of course that's why it feels so good :) So yes..one day I wish I could give away a large amount of money to someone in need and then just walk away with that wonderful feeling of giving.
But...you are probably thinking that by us giving the money back to the Make a Wish Foundation was the thing that made me feel really good...well...yes it did but it wasn't exactly "The" thing I was talking about. After the tournament there were many gifts for silent auction....and since I also won the 50/50 drawing...I decided to spend it on the donated gifts. I ended up getting a "Earth" video game, a die cast model car, and a pair of ear rings. (no..the ear rings weren't for me..I bought them for Kim...just saying)
The video game I will give to me niece and nephew...who happen to know by name, just about any creature on the earth...so I thought it was fitting. But the die cast model car????? I had no idea what the heck I was going to do with it...so when I picked it up...I thought to myself....Self? (cause that's what I call myself) Why did you buy that? I immediately had visions of this sitting in my closet collecting dust right next to the other useless stuff I have in there. So...as I picked it up and had those thoughts, I saw the father of the Little Girl that last years Make a Wish event sponsored.(She went to Florida to swim with the dolphins) Along with him was his son. It only took a split second for me to spit out the words...."You like Cars"? The boy looked at me with wonderment in his eyes and said "yes". "Well here ya go then" and I handed him the car. The look in his eyes when he said "Really?"  just made my day. I said..."You said you liked cars...so enjoy it" And I walked away.

I came home and gave Kim the ear rings (which I still don't know if she liked them...but she did say thanks) Then we went to a wedding reception which we gave also...so really it was just a day of giving. And I just cant think of a better day than that. The Gift of giving is so powerful... and what I realized was that the gift doesn't have to be a Large gift....even a small gift can be just as rewarding as a Large one. God rewards us for all of them just the same. :)