When you donate to the Salvation Army Store, you give clothing a second life and families a second chance. When you donate to our red kettles, you give individuals and families support to get back on their feet. When you donate to the food shelf, you give an opportunity for a mother to strengthen her children through nourishment and a family meal together.

It’s difficult not to worry when your basic needs aren’t being met. Questions are constantly nagging at your subconscious, making even sleep near impossible. What are we going to eat tomorrow? What happens when I can’t pay my next electricity bill? How do I care for my child when he’s growing out of his clothes so quickly? What do I do when we don’t even have a place to stay?

Yet scripture proclaims quite clearly: do not worry.

When faced with these struggles, the proclamation not to worry seems almost laughable. However, God doesn’t leave it at that. Reading on in Matthew 6:25-34, the implication is that if God provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, He will provide for you. It is because we have a God who promises to provide that we can put our worries aside and seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

Nonetheless, these needs don’t disappear simply because worry isn’t present. God promises to provide, yet we don’t always know how God will provide. Through the promise and example of Christ, we receive the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. We see this acted out in Luke 3:11: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

With this example of giving, of sharing one’s blessings, we see how God will provide through the kind hearts of those around us. It is because of giving people that The Salvation Army can provide for those basic needs. Thanks to our volunteers and donors, we’re able to provide people peace of mind rather than increased anxiety through the statement “do not worry.”

When you give, you’re providing clothing to families, funds that go towards rental and utility assistance, and food to satisfy an empty stomach. Thank you for sharing your blessings with those who would otherwise go without. You’re helping to build a stronger community and becoming an instrument of God’s promises through your caring acts.

Originally posted on RochesterSA.org.