go’el

Sep 7, 2010

This cute little Hebrew word is the subject of a wonderful article on Meridian Magazine.

The article teaches how we can be redeemers for other people…not Redeemers, but redeemers…people who redeem, rescue, serve, and love those around them.

I have been served many, many times and have felt the love of hundreds of go’els in my life. I can’t even count the times I have been rescued, been loved, by someone who I know was put in my path by a loving Heavenly Father. I remember a time last year that I was really falling apart and a dear friend grabbed me by the arm and took me grocery shopping. She bought my family food, but more importantly she gave me hope. I remember being adopted by many Christmas angels who made sure our family had presents to open, food to eat, and love to share on Christmas morning and for many mornings to come. I remember being scooped up out my life and being given my amazing husband, who helped me learn to love and trust and discover who I was created to be.

Likewise I know I have had the privilege to serve in that role for others. Just the other night I was able to bless a friend and provide her with an opportunity to heal from horrible abuse. At times, I have simply been in the right place at the right time, which is always an amazing display of God’s love for me and for the other person. At other times, I have made a determined and prayerful effort to change lives for the better. During the past year, I have made a concerted effort to consecrate 10% of my money to anonymously bless others lives. This is different than the 10% tithe we give to our church – this is money we use to directly bless someone’s life without them knowing it. This has brought us so much joy as a family! We have tons of fun picking out who we want to help or what project we want to undertake. Even though things are incredibly tight, we have felt greatly blessed by this process. I highly recommend it to everyone. We haven’t made the jump yet to using 10% of our income from Richard’s job, we just do it on the little bit of money we get from doula work and gym. Even this little bit of money has blessed lives and it has certainly blessed ours. I promise you, it will change your life. Pinky-promise.

I also loved the part in the article which talks about people praying for people they don’t know yet. As a teenage girl, I didn’t have a whole lot of faith that my life would turn out okay, but I had tiny smidgen of hope, and I used that hope to pray for my future husband. I prayed that he would be strengthened in making righteous choices and that he would be kept protected and safe. I know those prayers were answered. I know it deep down in my little toes. My husband came to me unblemished from the world. I was the first girl he ever kissed and he has often talked about the difficult choices he made to choose to be moral and obedient to commandments.

I yearn for greater ability, for greater faith to have the courage to bless others lives spiritually, physically, financially. This article gives me determination to be better, to strive harder, to be more conscious of others needs. I feel like I have been swallowed up by my own trials so frequently that I don’t always notice others and what they are struggling with. I commit today to be better.

To be a go’el for others.