August 14, 2026
The company from which Saint Anne's purchased our new AED device let us know that the device would need to be checked monthly to ensure it remained in good working order. I made a little joke to Andy, our service representative, about being grateful for the calendar app on my phone, because otherwise, months from now, I’d suddenly remember that I’d forgotten to check it - and the stress of realizing that would cause me to need the AED. Andy got my (weak) joke, but then he said, "Actually, I'm a church-goer myself and I understand how hard it can be to track all the little things. How about this: as part of my tithe toward the work of the church, I'll stop by around the first of each month and check on it. I can't promise I'll do it forever, but my office is close to here and I'll do it for now. Free of charge" After a few seconds of wondering whether it would be more difficult to need to coordinate times with him each month, I accepted, and told him that I appreciated his above-and-beyond offer.
Though it was nice not to have another reminder on my calendar, even a small one, the nicest part of Andy’s kind offer has been the unexpected gift of our AED service representative becoming a Friend of Saint Anne’s. True to his word, Andy has come each month since he installed the AED. He now knows our general office hours and stops by without an appointment. When he does, he always has a pleasant word to offer - he comments on how our Neighbor’s Inc. donations are growing, or compliments our gardens and grounds. When he noticed something on our wall was loose, he offered to tighten it, since he had his tools with him anyway.
Andy is genuinely nice person, and it makes the world seem a little smaller and more friendly when “a service rep” becomes someone who takes the time to get to know us - and we, him. Maybe this is one of the ways God works: not always through grand gestures or dramatic moments, but through ordinary people who show up, pay attention, and make themselves available to one another. And a good reminder of the ripples we create when we choose to live in generosity and abundance.
My prayer for you is that you notice the ways God’s generosity shows up in the ordinary moments of your life - that we can be both givers and receivers of these gifts.