This morning, while sitting in a long line to pick up turkeys for families, I realized this is the perfect place to wrap up my Thanksgiving series. There’s something grounding about serving others. It reminds you that gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s an action. It’s something we live.
As I’ve been focusing on gratitude this month, one truth keeps resurfacing:
Giving back keeps the heart soft.
At both the school where I serve and the church where I teach, I’ve been thinking a lot about our kids. Many children are used to receiving during this season, and that’s a blessing. But part of maturing—spiritually and emotionally—is learning the beauty of giving as well.
Not reluctantly.
Not because someone told them to.
But because generosity transforms the heart.
Giving Back Is a Lesson We Model First
I haven’t seen all of these moments yet, but I’m believing for them. I want the children I serve to one day know the joy of giving something meaningful to someone else—whether it’s a card, a toy, or a simple act of kindness. These are the lessons I want to model, because they shape character more deeply than anything we can teach on paper.
Children grow into what they see.
And what they see in us matters.
Why Giving Back Strengthens Gratitude
Something shifts inside us when we give.
Perspective sharpens.
Tension loosens.
The heart opens.
Giving teaches us to look beyond ourselves. It positions us to recognize our blessings more clearly. Gratitude becomes not just something we feel—it becomes something we participate in.
That’s why this week, as I waited in that long line of cars picking up turkeys for families, I didn’t feel impatience. I felt gratitude.
Gratitude for the chance to help.
Gratitude for the families who will feel seen.
Gratitude for the reminder that giving back is a privilege.
Real-Life Examples of How One Gift Sparked Something Bigger
Sometimes the most meaningful movements begin with one small act of giving. These stories remind me that you never know what God will do with what you offer.
Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse)
This global ministry began because someone felt led to pack a simple shoebox filled with toys and essential items for a child overseas.
That single idea grew into a worldwide movement—millions of boxes delivered each year along with the message of God’s love.
The Giving Keys
This Christian-founded social enterprise began when someone gave a key engraved with a word of hope to someone walking through a difficult season.
That one key—one encouraging word—turned into a business that employs people transitioning out of homelessness and spreads hope around the world.
Angel Tree (Prison Fellowship)
Angel Tree started when a woman felt compelled to give Christmas gifts to children whose parents were incarcerated.
That one act of compassion became a national ministry now serving more than 300,000 children each year.
Why These Stories Matter
Each of these movements started with:
- one idea,
- one act of generosity,
- one person deciding to give instead of receive.
It wasn’t about how much they had.
It was about the heart behind the gift.
That’s what I want our students, our families, and ourselves to understand:
Giving doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful. It just has to be offered.
Organizations You Can Support
If you feel led to give this season, here are organizations making a real impact:
LINC (Local Investment Commission)
Serving Kansas City families with dignity, practical support, and consistency.
Website: https://kclinc.org
Giving Hope & Help
Supporting individuals affected by abuse and ensuring girls around the world have essential items.
Website: https://givinghopeandhelp.org
Flourishing Families Ministry
The church community I serve with, dedicated to equipping families and sharing God’s love in practical ways.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FLOURISHINGFM
Why “It Is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive”
Acts 20:35 records the words of Jesus:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Paul quoted Jesus at the end of an emotional farewell message to the elders in Ephesus. After years of serving and pouring into them, he closed with a reminder about the power of giving.
Receiving meets a need in the moment.
Giving changes something in you that lasts a lifetime.
Modern psychology confirms this truth:
- Giving activates joy centers in the brain.
Acts of generosity release dopamine and endorphins—creating what researchers call the “helper’s high.” - Giving reduces stress and improves emotional well-being.
Generous people experience lower cortisol levels and greater resilience. - Giving increases connection.
It releases oxytocin, strengthening empathy, trust, and relational bonds. - Giving shifts our focus.
It draws our attention from what we lack to what we have to offer. - Giving creates meaning.
We were designed by God to contribute, not just consume.
In other words:
Receiving fills your hands.
Giving fills your heart.
A Closing Thought for This Season
As we move into the holidays, here’s the truth I want to leave with you:
Gratitude grows deeper when it flows outward.
It strengthens when we serve.
And it expands when we shift our focus from what we receive to what we can release.
This week, find one simple way to give—your time, your resources, your encouragement, or even a moment of kindness.
You may be surprised at how much it gives back to you in return.