I love anonymous donations. I like all donations. Even swimwear to a men’s winter shelter. No, that didn’t happen. Some donations are really secret like clothing and food left on the doorstep with no note attached. That can be a little concerning if the food is not wrapped up nice.

One anonymous gift this week was shoes. Tags on, still in the box. The person who delivered the large bag of shoes knew nothing of where they came from. She was just the delivery girl. It’s not easy to give twenty pairs of shoes in secret. You can’t sneak ‘em in under your coat. And these shoes were not your bargain basement variety. I confess that my first thought upon seeing these shoes was, “Hey, I want a pair of those.”

Men in winter can be pretty hard on shoes. There is nothing like a new pair of shoes to put us in a good mood.

This giving in secret thing is something Jesus asked us to do. Matt. 6:4. The idea is that if you give in a way that everyone can see, then that praise of those who see you give is your reward. If you give in secret, so as no one can see, then only God sees (It’s hard to hide things from God) and He will give you a reward. What is that reward? Each reward is designed to be the best reward for that particular giver. God knows how to give good gifts. He knows what we need before we do. It’s one of the advantages of being an all knowing God. So, you secret givers, keep your eyes open. The reward might not be what you expect, but it will be what you need. It won’t have anything to do with making you look good in the eyes of men. That’s the devil’s kingdom. It will involve humility.

That’s the News from the Men’s Shelter on Phinney Ridge.

Ben Paul