Surprise & Delight

In Impact, Mita and  I have a lot of events and activities of all sorts going on all the time. Like, a LOT.

Our office is usually a revolving storage space for items we’re collecting and deliveries we’re going to assemble and donate. People coming in and out to talk about needs we can meet is a multiple-times-a-day occurrence.

It’s AWESOME!

We get to bounce from making meals for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, to caring for people who wander into the church looking for help to get them through difficult situations. We’re blessed to foster partnerships with a plethora of nonprofit organizations working to support people who need it most. And, we get to work with all of YOU to create space for God to work through us as we strive to meet our neighbors needs and love the heck out of our community.

Again, I cannot say how amazing it is that this is the work we get to do.

Serving others, though, can sometimes feel like an endless feat. There are so many needs coming from so many hurting people.

In fact, in Deuteronomy 15:11 (MSG) Moses says:

“There are always going to be poor and needy people among you.”

- Deuteronomy 15:11 (MSG)

Jesus even quotes him in John 12:8 reminding his disciples:

“You always have the poor with you.”

- John 12:8

So, on what needs, for which people, and on what causes do we focus? And how do we keep ourselves energized and motivated to maintain our efforts even when it can become exhausting? And I don’t just ask these questions from an Impact standpoint - it’s the same in our day to day lives.

How do we serve others the way Jesus asks us to throughout scripture?

Here’s where 2 powerful words come into play.

Surprise & Delight.

(I dare you to say those out loud and NOT smile.)

To bring intentionality, focus, and endurance to our Impact work, which can sometimes feel like it’s moving a thousand miles an hour in 77 different directions (can anyone else relate?!), we have recently chosen to focus on 2 words to help guide our efforts.

Surprise & Delight.

Not only do these concepts help shape our efforts, they help us ensure Biblical alignment in our choices one day, one Impact category, one donation, and one event at a time.

• A partner organization recently asked for help with storage at their facility. SURPRISE - we were able to purchase exactly what they needed and have volunteers install it, ensuring they could serve more families in crisis.
• We recently hosted a Good Neighbor Day for 150+ church volunteers to love on our community together. One of our assembly projects was simply to DELIGHT our nonprofit partners by giving them a goodie basket for their entire staff, ensuring they could keep their spirits high as they go about their day to day work.
• A partner organization mentioned to us that the foster youth coming through their doors need items which bring them comfort. SURPRISE - we sent in teddy bears and art supplies, ensuring they could find relief from their unstable reality for at least some part of their day.
• And, we recently commissioned murals to be painted at Meadowbrook Middle School and Lifeline Community Services. Our hope was to bring little bits of DELIGHT to students, teachers, and youth experiencing homelessness, or affected by human trafficking, as they go about their time on campus.

And personally, incorporating surprise and delight into our way of being can have a hugely positive effect on all of us.

Not only can it help you choose where, when, and how to serve those around you, it can actually affect your physical & mental health - for the good! In fact, one of my favorite speakers (who also happens to be a brilliant neuroscientist) talks extensively about how choosing kindness (another word for serving others with surprise and delight!) positively affects both our brains and our bodies in a multitude of ways.

It’s almost like God designed us to serve others, and in the same sense, uses our service to increase our own health… actually, it’s exactly that!

When we choose surprise and delight in our Impact efforts, and when you do the same in your own day-to-day service to others, it’s precisely what God’s calling you to do.

I’ll leave you with this scripture from Romans 12 which I pray blesses your effort to surprise and delight those around you today. It reads:

“Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”

- Romans 12:20-21 (MSG)

Love you!

Kyle Moss

‍