The Power of Giving
Letter from Avina Gonsalves
Dear Sisters in Christ,
In 2011, I started my first job. I loved the work, and I also loved that it paid well. Growing up in a simple Indian middle-class family with a strong emphasis on maintaining high moral values, we didn't have much "stuff" but there always seemed to be more than enough love to go around. I wondered back then if life could have been better if we had more money.
So once I landed my first job, I had the purchasing power and the independence to decide how I wanted to spend it. There were so many things I wanted that I didn’t have growing up - clothes, shoes, and jewelry. The first few weekends, I found myself in high-end boutiques- the colors, unique patterns, and even fragrant aromas inside urged me to come back for more. Soon enough it became a routine and I realized I was getting bored. I needed something new, something interesting. Should I start investing in better gains in the future? A house? A car? A family?
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon and I had finished Mass. As I started to stack up our choir chairs, an old friend approached me and we got to chatting. Throughout our conversation, I noticed my friend’s face started to sink from his otherwise cheerful look. Then he said, “There is this school girl who is diagnosed with a severe kidney condition. If she doesn’t take her medication on time, she bloats up. Her face swells up and it becomes hard for her to breathe." I felt my heart race. "Her family is below the poverty line and they cannot afford to pay for her care."
Handwritten quote from the writer
I suddenly felt a great amount of unrest through my body and started to fidget with my hands. "I am quite worried about her. I don’t think she will live very long.” He paused for a second and then gave me a look that was so deep it touched an untapped area of my heart. I knew God was speaking through him at that moment and was calling me. "I can help," I found myself saying. I didn't know how and I didn't know when. I felt scared and peaceful at the same time. Could I really make a difference? But I felt a gentle nudge to say, "I can sponsor her for food and medicines. It's the least I can do."
My newfound freedom to buy material things was transformed into a way in which God could give to another. This was my chance for something exciting.
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” At the end of every month, I put some money aside and called it "love money," which I handed over to that friend. Every time I had the urge to spend it on something new, I would be reminded of the cause.
I learned that this little girl's name was Mary* and she was changing my life bit by bit for the better.
Right up to this time, I hadn't met Mary in person or spoken to her over the phone. I sketched a picture in my head of what she might look like from the description that my friend painted and hoped that we could cross our paths someday. Four months into that financial assistance, as I was biking back home from work, my friend and I met. Before I could inquire about Mary, he said, " She wants to meet you." My face lit up. "Who?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "Mary. Can you bike over to her place tomorrow?”
The next day I couldn't wait to finish work. I was about to meet the girl I’d been helping over the last four months. When I got to her house, my heart was thumping loudly. Surely, Mary must have heard it because she was at the door even before I could park my bike. She was about three feet tall, slightly plump, and radiated the most beautiful smile on her face. Shyly, she invited me into her home and sat quietly in one corner of the room maintaining eye contact. Her mum and dad appeared from behind the curtains from the adjacent room to offer me a plate full of Indian sweets. At once it made me very nostalgic.
"Mary," her mum said in a joyful tone, "has been struggling for a long time but I think now she can make her first Holy Communion next week as a healthy child. Can you come?" My eyes started to well up with tears. Of course, I would be there, I said. Her mum then took my hands in hers and thanked me. She looked at me with that same deep look that convinced me four months back to saying that "yes." Immediately, I felt a sense of grace flow through me as if Jesus was saying, "I am looking after you too."
The days to Mary's Holy Communion flew by quickly. This girl was going to receive Jesus for the very first time and she wanted me to be a part of her big day. There she was walking down the aisle in her dazzling white dress like a scene from an Oscar movie. Everything about her was perfect and it made the night one to remember. At the reception, I found myself a chair and noticed the place was decorated with balloons, streamers, and a cake all in pink and white. The backdrop stood out with the words, "Congratulations, you are a child of God." I couldn't help but notice that despite the family’s poverty, they expressed their richness of love and faith in this celebration. Mary hugged me in a reassuring way and I knew that things were going to look a lot different from now.
Luke 6:38 (NIV) - “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Mary kept in touch with me. She excelled in school, was living happily and healthily never forgetting to carry that sparkle in her eyes from the day I first met her. For many years after, she was still my biggest reason for going beyond myself and loving others even through small acts of random kindness.
Yours in Christ,
Avina Gonsalves
* Name changed for privacy
About the Writer: Avina Gonsalves is originally from the sunny, coastal town of Goa, India. She has spent the last five years pursuing her dream of living in New Zealand. One of Avina's favorite things to do is to play praise and worship music on her guitar over a plate (or two) of hot chips. Avina has a post graduate in Business Administration from the Auckland Institute of Studies, Auckland and aims to use her degree and faith to make a Christian difference in the business world. Avina loves to travel and learn about new cultures. Playing in an orchestra is one of the top five things on her bucket list. You'll find her sharing personal life stories of how Jesus has touched her with friends and family. You can follow her writings on her blog-- avinagonsalves.wordpress.com or connect with her via Instagram @avidovieeee.
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