Chocolate for Lent by Hilary Brand

Week Two

Giving Out—The Power of a Gift

To Start Your Reflection

Pause for Thought

Try to remember times when others have done something or said something that has made you feel loved and accepted.

The Gift of Encouragement

I am frequently surprised by things that other people remember that I have forgotten completely. “Do you remember,” said my very oldest friend recently, “when you and some of the others bought me a pencil case for my eleventh birthday? It was the first time anyone except my immediate family had bought me a present and it meant so much.” “I’ll always remember,” said another friend, “when you threw a surprise party for my twenty-first birthday.” A letter arrived a few months ago. It was from the pastor of a parish we once attended, someone I hadn’t seen for twenty years or so, who had just read an article I had written. “I still remember your kindness,” he said, “in traveling all the way to see my new home.”

I had forgotten all these things. I am not listing them here to tell you what a nice person I am; rather, the opposite! I think God may have sent these little reminders to tell me something else I was in danger of forgetting: that in the long run, little kindnesses may be far more important than running an efficient office or writing successful books.

There are certain other things I remember, though, that are probably long forgotten by the person who did them. The encouraging words spoken by another student in a writing course when I had just nervously shared my first attempts at fiction and was feeling completely out of my element. The girl at my new job, whom I hardly knew but who bothered to say, “I like your outfit. You always dress so nicely!” I’m not sure it was true, but it made me feel so much better.

A card arrived one day, months after we had moved to a new area, from an old friend who just wanted to say she missed us. It didn’t matter that it came so late. God allowed it to come at just the right time when we needed encouragement.

Some other things that frequently take me by surprise:

The number of times someone who at first glance I thought might be boring or “not my type” turns out to be someone whose company I enjoy.

The number of times I think I’m doing a good turn for someone, only to find that the benefits I receive back far outweigh what I gave.

The number of times getting to know someone from another country or another culture or with another set of beliefs has enriched me.

Personal Reflection

Note: Again, this is an exercise in imagination; there are no right or wrong answers.

These questions will be discussed during the group encounter.

Read Luke 14:1-24.

This parable is often taken to refer to the Jews and Gentiles: God had poured out his generosity on his people, the Jews, but often they had failed to take advantage of it; now God was offering an invitation to the Gentiles as well. While that may be true, Jesus’ forthright comment in verses 12-14 shows that He was not just trying to make a religious point. He meant it—quite shockingly—literally!

Pause for Thought

What could you say to encourage someone today?

How could you show acceptance this week to someone who feels unaccepted?