Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled In Small Ways was written by Leslie Coe.

When she was struck by cancer, Elsie was prepared to go home to heaven to be with Jesus. But she recovered, though the disease

left her immobile. It also left her wondering why God had spared her life. What good can I do?

she asked him. I don't have much money or skills, and I can't walk. How can I be useful to you?

Then she found small, simple ways to serve others,

especially her home cleaners who were migrants. She bought them food or gave them a few dollars whenever she saw them. These cash gifts were small, yet they went a long way towards helping the workers

make ends meet. As she did so,

she found God providing for her. Friends and relatives gave her gifts and money,

enabling her to bless others in return. As she shared her story, I couldn't help but think how

Elsie was truly putting into practice the call to love one another

in 1 John 419.

We love because he first loved us, as well as the truth of Acts 2035, which reminds us that

it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Elsie gave because she received, and was in turn encouraged as she gave.

Yet it took little more from her than a loving, grateful heart and a readiness to offer

what she had, which God multiplied in a virtuous circle of giving and receiving.

Let's ask him to give us a thankful and generous heart, to give as he leads us.

The scripture reading for today's devotional from Our Daily Bread is 1 John chapter 4 verses 7 through 12 and also 19 through 21.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

This is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only son into the world that we

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