As this year draws to a close, I want to invite you to be a part of the good work God is doing through Lutheran Church Charities. Every devotion, every deployment, every act of comfort and care happens because of generous partners like you.

You can visit the link in this email or click below in the comments to go to our 12/31 BEHIND EVERY GOOD DEED page and make your year-end gift. Your support helps share the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ where compassion cannot wait.

As the year draws to a close, we pause to look back, not to relive every challenge or rehearse every detail, but actually, we look back to recognize God’s hand behind it all. The calendar reminds us we’ve come a long way through joys and sorrows, through change and growth, through challenges we didn’t expect and blessings we certainly didn’t deserve.

And through it all, God worked. He sustained. He surprised. He showed up through people, through provision, and through peace.

2 Corinthians says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Behind every good deed this year was His strength.
Behind every answered prayer, His mercy.
Behind every act of compassion, His love flowing through a willing heart.

When I was in seminary, a pastor challenged us to create a timeline of our lives. We were told to write down every good memory on one color of sticky note, every difficult memory on another colored sticky note.

Then we were asked to step back and look, to truly reflect and consider where we saw the Lord at work.

I’ll never forget that assignment. It required that I stop and see what the Lord had done.

And what I saw was this: Not only was God behind all the good. He was unmistakably present through all the difficult. Those moments where I once view them as pain or detour, I now saw them as evidence of His grace, presence, and preparation.

You know, as 2025 draws to a close, it’s a good time for us all to do the same — to stop, to look, to consider where we saw the Lord. And I’m confident we will see Him through it all.

At Lutheran Church Charities, we’ve seen that up close. This year, we’ve watched volunteers rise early and stay late. We’ve seen donors give quietly, faithfully, sacrificially. We’ve seen our 152 K-9, Disaster Response, Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, and LCC Cares Teams serve with courage, compassion, and conviction.

Their presence and service have meant hurting hearts were met with hope, grieving hearts were comforted, wounded souls were healed to the point of overflowing — overflowing praise to Jesus.

So before we turn the page to a new year, pause with us. Look back. Give thanks. And behind every good deed, remember, don’t forget to look for the One who made it all possible.

Prayer
God of every good thing, thank You for the year we’ve lived. Thank You for every person, prayer, and provision You used for Your purpose. We give You glory for every good deed, knowing that You were behind them all. Help us carry this wonder into the year ahead. With eyes that notice. Hearts that are worshiping You and hands that are ready to serve. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Learn more about LCC’s year-end 12/31 Campaign:
LutheranChurchCharities.org/give-now-lcc-12-31.html

Ready to make a gift today? Give here.

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