Elevated Friday, September 21st, 2018

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of what we all are capable of if we only choose to “do” instead of talk ourselves out of doing. This past month in Jenks, Oklahoma, the 75,000th Little Free Library was established. Little Free Libraries is a nonprofit started by Todd Bol in 2009 after just placing a box with books in his front lawn. His goal was to provide a place where anyone, no matter their financial means, can afford to read and learn. Little Free Libraries operate on a “take-one-and-leave-one” principle. Over the last 9 years, this idea has spread worldwide and now there are currently 75,000 libraries with over 54 million books in 88 countries. This allows for an estimated 900,000 neighbors to meet each other over a good book. Todd’s simple idea of placing a box of books in his front yard for his neighbors proves that what starts small can grow large — the key is just to start.

Every single one of us has at some point had an idea of a way we could help one or many others. It may not have been unique or ground breaking, but it would have been helpful nonetheless. What stops us from putting our ideas into action? Sometimes it is fear, sometimes laziness, sometimes we feel we are too busy, or countless other reasons. Something always seems to stop us from doing. What if we found the courage to “do”? In Hebrews, the Bible calls us to “do”, saying, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” There is power in purposeful "doing". Today, ask God for the courage and patience to do the good that we think to do, but for some reason, have chosen not to in the past.

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” — Hebrews 13:16 ESV

Original Article:

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