The Reciprocal Blessing

When my daughter came home from college she told me about her hat.
She told me that she ordered it online.
She told me that it was scheduled to arrive the next week.
She was very excited to wear it.

It was a simple baseball hat in appearance.
However, there was a deeper meaning behind it.
There was a reason my daughter wanted to buy this special hat.
The reason warmed my heart.

The company is called, Love Your Melon.

Love Your Melon was founded in an entrepreneurship class at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota by two friends, Zach and Brian. On a mission to improve the lives of children battling cancer since October 22nd, 2012, Love Your Melon began with the simple idea of putting a hat on every child battling cancer in America.

The young men began their business with 400 hats.
The kicked off a buy one, give one program.
In 2014, they embarked on a nationwide tour and spread the mission.
11,000 students from 740 different colleges and universities joined the Campus Crew program.

After achieving the original goal of donating 45,000 hats to children undergoing cancer treatment, Love Your Melon set a new goal of donating one million dollars to pediatric cancer research and providing immediate support to the children and their families. In 2015, we achieved this goal and through the Campus Crew Program, personally donated 51,264 hats at 705 donation events in 46 states. (loveyourmelon.com)

Buy one, give one.
My daughter’s purchase provided a hat for a child with cancer.
It is an adorable hat; it is a wonderful concept.
The purchase was not self-centered but other-centered.

My son took part in such a program when he was in high school.
He had wanted a certain pair of shoes and put them on his birthday list.
The concept was the same.
Buy a pair of shoes and a pair of shoes would be given to a child in need.

TOMS was the footwear of choice for my son.
Not only did he like TOMS shoes, he knew that children had shoes because of his purchase.
One for one.
That principle has now expanded to sight, water, safe birth, and bullying prevention.

One for one.
Buy one, give one.
Going beyond ourselves.
Making a difference.

A Christian singer and her husband are doing the same thing in a different way.
JJ Heller and her husband Dave made a lullaby album called, I Dream Of You.
The songs on the album helped soothe their own little girls so they would fall asleep.
JJ and Dave received letters from parents telling them how much their album meant.

The letters told the couple about the many ways their music ministered to them.
The songs were played while a premature baby was in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The songs were played while a child was in the hospital with an injury or disease.
Often the songs were the only thing that calmed the child and the parents were grateful.

JJ and Dave set out to make a difference.
Every time someone buys, I Dream Of You, an album is donated to a children’s hospital.
JJ explains: Join me in my mission to bring peace to hospital rooms around the country!
I’ve already donated over 1,600 albums to hospital patients.

Buy one, give one.
One for one.
Making a difference in unique ways.
Setting an idea in motion in order to bless others.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6)

Isn’t it just like God to do that?
God has determined that there would be a reciprocal benefit when we give.
We do not give something to get something.
However, we do get something in the process: we get blessing upon blessing.

The blessing is not necessarily a tangible one.
Often it is simply a stored treasure in heaven kind of blessing.
It is a blessing that only God sees.
It is better that way.

Blessings multiply when they are not about you.
Blessings increase exponentially when we are unaware.
God can turn a simple idea into a kingdom tool for another’s good and His glory.
Only in God’s hands can a hat, or shoes, or an album go straight to the heart and bless.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John 1:16)

God’s grace is at the heart of every blessing.
When we make a difference for others, we make a difference for God.
God has given us specific gifts for a reason.
The gifts we have are to share with others as a way to bless them.

How about taking the challenge?
How about seeking to be a blessing to others?
You cannot help but be blessed yourself as you seek to minister to others needs.
It is the reciprocal benefit of blessing.

God designed it that way.

 

https://youtu.be/rtnah4RUtAI