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Friday, January 12th, 2018


Happy #ElevatedFriday! Today we highlight a national chain of stores with a simple but groundbreaking policy. Trader Joe’s, a grocery chain many are familiar with, has a policy that any perishables that don't sell are to be donated to charity. Contrast that policy with the food industry norm of throwing away that same food! This week in the Kalamazoo, Michigan Trader Joe’s, that policy was put to the test. The refrigerator malfunctioned and, sure enough, Trader Joe’s immediately donated all 35,000 pounds of food to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, a local shelter that serves the city’s homeless every day. Donating food just once is an act of generosity, but having a company policy that insists upon donation is quite another thing.

Many of us live our lives by giving “when we can.” Usually, this takes the form of “when it is convenient for us.” The incredible thing about what Trader Joe’s did this week was that giving up 35,000 pounds of food without a second thought was not “convenient” for them. It absolutely hurt their bottom line for the month and potentially the year! However they did it because they as a company have already made the decision to be generous, no matter how much it may sting. Jesus lived a life of giving when it was not convenient, and praised those who did the same. Look to Luke 21, which says, “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Those who turn from what is common in the name of helping others often end up doing the extraordinary. Today, make the decision in your heart to be generous in all things and give glory to our Father in doing so.

"Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” -- Luke 21: 1-4

Original Article:

http://bit.ly/2ALnG1n

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