Most of us want to love people well—especially when they’re hurting—but if we’re honest, we don’t always know how. We worry about saying the wrong thing, doing too little, or showing up too late. And sometimes, because of that uncertainty, we end up doing nothing.
That’s why I’m so grateful for this week’s episode of The Love Offering Podcast.
I’m joined by Christy Gandy, owner of Lovewell Collective, whose own experience with grief shaped a beautiful mission: helping people show up for others with practical love, kindness, and care—especially in life’s hardest seasons.
In our conversation, Christy gently reminds us that loving well isn’t about fixing someone’s pain. It’s about helping them feel seen, remembered, and cared for. Sometimes love looks like presence. Sometimes it looks like a note, a prayer, or a small gift left on a porch. And often, it’s the simplest gestures that leave the deepest mark.
We also talk honestly about compassion fatigue—what happens when there is so much need around us—and how God never asks us to carry the weight of the world, only to be faithful with what’s right in front of us.
This episode is for:
- The one who wants to support a grieving friend but feels unsure
- The one who feels unseen or forgotten themselves
- The one who longs to love others well without burning out
You’ll hear reminders that:
- It’s never too late to reach out
- Small acts of kindness matter more than we realize
- God sees the unseen places
- We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, right where we are
We close with a prayer for anyone who feels overlooked, weary, or in need of encouragement today.
Listen to the episode here:
My prayer is that this conversation encourages you—not with pressure, but with possibility. May it remind you that love, offered faithfully and humbly, always counts.
Summary
In this episode of the Love Offering Podcast, host Rachael Adams welcomes Christy Gandy, owner of Lovewell Collective, to discuss the importance of loving others well, especially during difficult times. Christy shares her personal journey of grief and how it inspired her mission to help others show support through thoughtful care packages. The conversation explores practical ways to encourage friends, the significance of presence in times of grief, and the power of generosity. Listeners are reminded that even small acts of kindness can have a profound impact, and that it’s never too late to reach out to someone in need. The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer for those feeling unseen or unloved.
Takeaways
Loving well means making people feel seen and cared for.
It’s important to acknowledge others’ struggles, even if we can’t fix them.
Small gestures can have a big impact on someone’s life.
It’s never too late to reach out to someone in grief.
Being present is often more important than saying the right thing.
We can love others through our unique gifts and abilities.
Compassion fatigue is real; we must care for ourselves, too.
God sees us even when we feel forgotten by others.
Generosity can bring joy and fulfillment to our lives.
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our communities.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Love Offering Podcast
00:56 A Mission to Love Well
02:14 The Journey of Grief and Learning to Love
04:55 Understanding What It Means to Love Well
05:44 Practical Ways to Support Friends in Hard Times
08:04 The Importance of Presence in Grief
12:20 A Personal Story of Love and Support
15:45 Intentional Acts of Encouragement
19:55 Creating a Culture of Thoughtfulness
22:01 Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus
23:10 Navigating Compassion Fatigue
26:17 The Power of Prayer
29:09 Feeling Unseen and Forgotten
32:50 Choosing to Love Others
34:52 Serving Without Expectation
35:52 Biblical Principles of Generosity
37:40 Finding Joy in Simple Pleasures
Transcript (AI Generated)
Rachael Adams (00:01.57)
Welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m your host, Rachel Adams, author of Everyday Prayers for Love: Learning to Love God, Others, and Even Yourself. Each week, we dive into meaningful conversations about how to live out the greatest commandment, loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Whether through inspiring stories, practical tips, or biblical truths, I hope to encourage you to love boldly, live faithfully, and reflect God’s love in your everyday life.
Today I’m excited to welcome Christy Gandy to the show. Christy is the owner of Love Well Collective, a company that helps people love others well through thoughtfully curated care packages and gifts designed to bring comfort, encouragement, and hope. Christy is passionate about showing up for people in meaningful ways, especially during life’s most challenging moments, and she has made it her mission to help us do the same. Christy is here today to teach us how to practically love and support the people in our lives, even when we don’t know what to say or do. Well, hello, Christy, and welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m so happy to have you.
Christy Gandy (01:11.542)
Thank you. I’m so excited to be here.
Rachael Adams (01:14.446)
So you and I connected. You were such a blessing to me, and you continue to be. In 2022, my devotional Little Goes a Long Way was published. All of a sudden, you became friends with a friend of mine, found my book, and included it in one of your boxes. And I can’t tell you what that meant to me, especially at any time, but as a first-time author to have somebody to come alongside me and support me and share the message as you loved me so well, and we were strangers at
Christy Gandy (01:44.694)
I love your book. It’s so practical and helpful, and yeah, I thought it was really encouraging and perfect. So well done.
Rachael Adams (01:51.576)
So we’re kindred spirits. Well, thank you. Well done to you; what you’re doing is excellent. We’ve been talking back and forth for the past several years. Like, I need to have you on the show. This is the perfect topic for us because it is what you’re doing daily: loving as a love offering. And so let’s start. I want to let listeners in on the scenes and stories that show how it all started, what inspired you to start your business, and how you made loving others your mission.
Christy Gandy (02:25.781)
Yeah, well, thank you. I appreciate your encouragement for cheering me on. Yeah, everything really started. So in 2015, my dad passed away. He’d been sick for several years and had cancer and all kinds of different things. And when he died, he was honestly one of the first people, like one of the closest people I had ever had pass away. So I had never been on that side of grief. And I learned very quickly that so many people don’t know what to say and they don’t know what to do and so a lot of times they do nothing and so I was kind of surprised I guess by the people who reached out and the people who didn’t you know and the things that people did and the things that people didn’t do and also convicted because I knew that I had been that person before you know I had missed opportunities and been awkward and you know said the wrong thing or nothing at all or whatever and so That happened in 2015 and then over the course of the next several years, my husband and I walked with some people through some really hard things and I just began to learn more and more about what does it actually look like to love people who are walking through grief and difficult seasons and just started learning some things along the way and also realizing that there’s so little education surrounding that and even just talking with people that I know, so many people will admit, yeah, I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do, it’s really awkward.
And so I feel like the Lord just laid it on my heart. I started writing some things down. I’d always loved writing. And so I just started collecting the thoughts the Lord had given me and the things I’d learned along the way. Throughout that, I ended up attending a writer’s conference and thought I would start writing a book. My trajectory changed slightly, which led to the idea for the gift box business. And I realized, you know, people need something tangible to send. Think it’s great when you encourage people, you send them a text, you tell them you’re praying for them, like all of those things are needed and good, and please do that. And whenever you go the extra mile and do something tangible that meets a practical need, it lets people know you see them and acknowledge what’s happening in their lives. That’s really the heart behind why I started the business. There’s nothing extra special about what goes in the box. It makes it really easy for people to do something other than sending a meal or flowers. Those are overdone sometimes, or people, you know, who are out of town don’t want to do that, or for whatever reason. I’ve become increasingly passionate about discussing what it looks like to encourage your friends who are going through hard things. And so, yeah.
Rachael Adams (05:08.27)
Well, it doesn’t take long to look around. Everybody listening can think of somebody that they know who’s going through something hard. And you’re so right. It’s hard to know what to say and what to do. You want to be supportive, but we’re all so busy. So I don’t have time to go to the store and create a perfect gift box, but I do have time to go online and let Kristy handle it. Yes. Well, we’re going to continue this conversation, and I can’t wait to, but we’re going to take a quick break to hear a word from today’s sponsor, and we’ll be right back.
Rachael Adams (05:47.361)
Welcome back. We are talking with Kristi Gandhi. She is the owner of Love Well Collective. And so the name itself is so beautiful, Kristi. So Love Well, what does loving well mean to you?
Christy Gandy (06:01.589)
Yeah, I love that question. To me, it is so much about making people feel seen and cared for. Everybody wants to know that someone sees them, you know? So acknowledging that something difficult is happening in their lives can go a long way. And no one is looking to you to fix it, but when you are just willing to, you know, offer some tangible demonstration of, hey, I love you, I care about you.
That is so important. And so when I think about loving well, I think so much about noticing the people who are around me and just paying attention to what’s happening and not just focusing on myself, but looking around and intentionally focusing on the people around me and the things that they’re going through.
Rachael Adams (06:51.724)
Yeah, I think it takes time to slow down. You know the people that are actually with that you’re around that are like making eye contact that are listening and the people that remember it always amazes me the people the friends of in my life that will remember an anniversary or a birthday or like a doctor’s appointment or something like how did they and they but they were intentional they really listened they took the time to put it on their calendar or whatever and took the extra step to think of me. It always means so much; it does make you feel so seen.
Rachael Adams (07:21.72)
So we all have good intentions. We want to be good friends to people when they are grieving, struggling, or walking through hard seasons, and in good seasons. I actually was thinking about when you were first telling your story like even when I had my babies When I had friends who had their children years before me I didn’t know it because I didn’t know what it was like to be pregnant I didn’t know what it was like to have a newborn at home And so I remember and then when I had a baby and a newborn at home and people were bringing me meals and all the gifts I felt so bad for the way that I like the lack of love that I gave to the people that have had children before me like
Rachael Adams (08:07.152)
I didn’t know any better, so I think there is an element to that: if you haven’t been through it, you don’t see what other people may need. So I guess that is part of it. Talk to us, teach us how to love and support our friends in those challenging and good moments without feeling forced or uncomfortable.
Christy Gandy (08:26.855)
Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Your perspective changes once you have experienced something. One thing I often say is that it’s never too late. Like, there is no such thing as being too late. And I guess I specifically think about that, you know, it’s easy to do something like if someone has lost a loved one, it’s easy to do something right around the time of the funeral or maybe the week or two afterwards. And then not because we don’t care, but life happens, and you get back to normal, and before you know it, you forget about it. Whereas that person is still grieving, and I mean, they will grieve for years and years and years. And so I often tell people, “Do something three months later, six months later, the first anniversary, two years later.” It’s never too late to do something for somebody. As you were saying with kids, someone who’s had a baby, six months in, is still tough. Two years in is tough. I have a teenager. So precisely, that’s one thing. There’s never a, “No one is ever gonna be like,’ Why would you love me now? ‘” No one’s gonna say that. But a couple of things I have been thinking about, because it can feel awkward at times. One thing I’ve considered is that we sometimes don’t ask God to help us notice those around us. And so I think that one really practical step is to ask God to illuminate for me the people around me who need your love. And I’ve sat down before at my desk and just been like, okay, Lord, who do I need to send a card to today? And he does. He brings people to your mind, and he knows what’s going on. And sometimes it comes at the exact right moment. I have even sent cards to people, and they didn’t receive them until three weeks later, and they will tell me, “You have no idea how much I needed this today.” And I’m like, okay, Lord, your timing is not my timing. You know what’s going on. And so, asking him, but the second thing is sometimes I think we overthink it, we overcomplicate it. And it can be as simple as just saying to somebody, I’m really sorry that you’re hurting in this way. Sometimes we’ve put too much pressure on ourselves to fix their situation, which isn’t what they’re looking for, isn’t what we’re called to do, and isn’t what we can do anyway.
You know, and so just acknowledging like, hey, I’m really sorry that this is happening, and I’m here if you want to talk, I’m praying for you. There’s something to knowing that we’re not alone in whatever is going on. And then just doing what you can. You may not have the capacity at that moment to bring them a meal or provide financial support, but you can absolutely pray for them. You can absolutely send an encouraging note. Earlier, we were all gifted in different ways. For example, your husband owns a lawn-mowing company and can mow their lawn, or you love children and offer to watch their kids. Just thinking about what some of their needs might be and what I have to offer that I can, you are within my capacity, within my gifts and abilities, that would let them know, like, I see you, and I care about you.
Rachael Adams (11:48.077)
Yes, I’ve been reading the book of Job, which is not an enjoyable book. And sometimes I’m like, why did I start on this, but it just brings to mind Job was going through unimaginable grief, lost everything, and his friends came alongside him. They sit with him silently for a little while. Then they start to berate him and make him feel shame and guilt, and make him, you know, all the things. So I think that that’s what some of us are a little bit afraid of, is like okay I’m gonna go, and I’m gonna say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, or and but I think from their lives we do learn that sometimes all your friend or family member may need is just your presence. You don’t have to do anything but you know I always think about with funerals and visitations and all those things my husband and I will say like if sometimes you feel like well am I really that close to that person like will that person care if I’m there you know am I showing up and should I or whatever and just that self-doubt and we always end up saying we’ll never regret showing up for somebody you know and that’s become kind of our motto like you’re not going to regret just showing up you don’t have to say or do anything but just being present so i’d love to hear from you like is there somebody that has just really loved you well is there somebody in your life that just has impacted you in a really meaningful way?
Christy Gandy (13:14.805)
One of the stories I love to tell is simple, but it’s had a profound impact on me. Three months after my dad passed away, I had two little kids. So I remember it was, I think it was like, obviously it was December or something like that. I had a one-year-old and a three-year-old, and it was a tough day. It was just a hard season. I don’t know exactly what was going on, but I remember being in my kitchen, pounding my fist on the counter and crying out to the Lord. And I don’t know exactly what I said, but I do remember saying something along the lines of, “God, I need you just to throw me a bone here.” Like, this is a tough day. And a couple of hours later, the doorbell rang, and there was a florist, and he delivered some flowers to me.
I checked the card, and it had a concise, simple message. And all it said was that we haven’t forgotten. And like even now, mean, 10 years later, it still makes me cry because I think, and it was from my college roommate’s parents. It’s not even like it was from my best friend. It wasn’t like, I’m not super duper close to them. That was a long time ago. And in that moment, I thought two things. I thought, Wow, what an incredible, incredibly thoughtful gift from them to let me know three months later that they still hadn’t forgotten me. They knew I was still, you know, walking through this thing. And two, it was such a reminder from the Lord that he sees me and that he heard my prayers and that he hadn’t forgotten, you know? And so I’ve thought about that so many times to remind me to keep checking on my friends, whether it’s they lost a loved one, or they’re going through a cancer diagnosis, or something difficult with their children, or their marriage, or whatever it is. Something so small as having something delivered on your front porch and just letting them know, hey, I see you, I haven’t forgotten. You never know what is going on in their life that day, how the Lord is answering one of their prayers, or how God is going to use that. What you think is a seemingly small gesture is actually pointing them back to him and making them feel loved. And so I’ve given that example so many times to people because again, I want them to know, like it doesn’t have to be something big, but it also doesn’t, know, there’s like, there’s no wrong timing. Like when the Lord prompts you to do something, to be obedient, and to be sensitive to those promptings, and we get to partner with him in loving people. I’ve always loved that story because it’s a reminder that God sees and cares.
Rachael Adams (16:04.406)
It’s a beautiful story, and it happened 10 years ago-ish. You’re still talking about it today, so to me, that is just a reminder that some things, as small as a little gift three months later, are really meaningful to somebody. We’ll never know the impact of that on somebody’s heart, and so I love that story, and I can’t wait to continue this conversation, but we’re gonna take another brief break and hear a word from today’s sponsor.
Rachael Adams (16:36.864)
Welcome back. We are talking with Christy Gandy. We’re talking about loving others well. You’ve already given us many practical tips, but do you have any additional ideas for listeners who want to be more intentional about encouraging others in their everyday lives?
Christy Gandy (16:53.597)
Yes, lots of ideas; I love talking about this. Okay, so three easy things, real quickly, that are so easy for everyone to do, and you even mentioned it earlier, but write it down. Write it on your calendar, set an alarm. Most of us have a smartphone. There is no reason we can’t set a reminder or an alarm. I have literally been sitting in funerals, and I will make a note of the date when that person passed away. I will go ahead and look a year ahead and put it on my calendar that that’s the first anniversary when so and so’s mom or sister or whoever it was that passed away. And like you were saying, it just means so much to people when you took the initiative, and you made the effort to do something that a lot of people don’t tend to do; they remember it. You said something earlier that made me think. I actually was talking to someone not too long ago who said, You know, the people who come to your wedding, it’s really special, and you remember a lot of them, but the people who come to the funerals, that sticks out for some reason. It’s just a different experience and a different way of feeling loved. You’re not just; the Bible tells us to celebrate with those who are celebrating and to weep with those who are grieving. One practical way is to write it down, put it on your calendar, and then think about the gifts you have. What is something really practical that you can do? So I love to bake. I’m not a huge cook. I cook because my team likes to eat, but I would rather bake. And so I will bake breads, cookies, or whatever, and give them away. It’s such an easy and really inexpensive thing to do for somebody, but it’s not hard to, you know, tie some cookies up in a bag, put a little note that says, hey, I’m thinking about you, and drop it in their mailbox or leave it on the front porch or, you know, whatever. What are the things you’re good at? Both my mom and my grandma, my grandma has passed away, but both of them were incredible note writers and just so faithful at sending encouraging notes, thank you notes, anniversary, birthday, all the things. And so, especially in today’s society, where note writing can be such a lost art, it really means a lot when you get a handwritten note in the mail. And again, I’ve had people tell me, “Christia came at just the right time.” As if you didn’t know I needed it that day. Go to the post office, buy stamps, and keep them in your drawer. And you know, when the Lord lays somebody on your heart, send them a note or even my sweet neighbor. She sometimes will drop little notes in our mailbox. You know, she just walked down the street, and she just shoved your note in your mailbox. So that has been really meaningful. The third thing I like to do is what my mom and my grandma taught me: I have a small gift closet in my guest room, and I keep some gifts on hand. And sometimes I’ll be at a store, and maybe they’re having a sale, or maybe it’s some of my favorite things, or whatever.
I’ve just bought a few extras and will keep them in there. And so again, when the Lord lays somebody on your heart, when something’s going on, there was a family at our church not too long ago, and they were in the hospital for over a month with their son dealing with some heart issues. Like those are times when it’s so easy to go, okay, how can I tangibly love them? How can I bring a small snack to the hospital, or something that would remind them they’ve been seen? And so those are the things that we can be proactive about, that we can be intentional, and you have to plan and think ahead. But I love it when something comes up, and I think, oh, you know what? I have this thing in my closet that I can share with them. So, that’s just a few ideas.
Rachael Adams (20:57.932)
Yeah, well, they’re also great now, makes me think you know I have some of those neighbors that are, and I’ve talked about her before, Miss Doris, she’s 90. I will randomly get like a bouquet of cuttings from her garden, like on our front, or a candle, or she just literally just yesterday she dropped off a package that was a book, it was called Front Porch Devotionals. So she was constantly thinking about us, and then my other friend Jim, he’s 90, and he will bring us a bag of onions, or it’s really like he’ll walk around the mall, and so I’ll get like every Sunday he gives me a back and body works lotion. I mean, every Sunday, or he’ll cut, he’ll cut my kids’ newspaper clippings from their sports, and he saves them for us. And then he’ll give those, always has them in his suit pocket on Sunday mornings. And so, it makes me feel so special and seen that they’re thinking about us. And then I’m thinking my husband was just in the hospital last month, and we were there for about a week, and he’s doing better, and I’m thankful for that. But during that season the people that came to visit us in the hospital and the people that brought meals and were praying for us and Even when we got home somebody had left like cupcakes on our front porch and it just it does I think our biggest takeaway after that time with him in the hospital is we are so thankful for the community that God has blessed us with and so even though when we go through these times of grieving in this hardship it is a sweet a sweetness and a kindness of the Lord even to have him show like I have all these people all these people that are my hands and feet that are listening
Rachael Adams (22:49.296)
to me, the Holy Spirit, and then going and loving you well the way that I love you. We really are an extension of him. As we do this work, it really does matter. Can you talk about that? Like, why do you think that God uses such simple acts of love in such powerful ways?
Christy Gandy (23:09.546)
Well, precisely what you just said. Like, I literally was thinking we are the hands and feet of Jesus. And he uses us to get to be, you know, yeah, like a part of that ministry. And I’ve been reminded recently that he is pouring his love into us. And so out of the overflow of that, we are loving those around us. And so there’s a verse in the New Testament that talks about being compelled by his love. And so that is a massive part of it, that he uses us because he wants to, he chooses to, he doesn’t have to, but we get to be a part of just reminding others that he sees them. And as we do that, it builds our faith as well, because it reminds us that he is at work even in ways we can’t see.
Christy Gandy (24:04.276)
You know, I’m praying a prayer today, and I don’t know how or when he’s going to answer it, but he’s pricking someone else’s heart, prompting them, and you see, we all get to be a part and get a front row seat to what he’s doing and how he’s at work. And it’s really sweet that he does that.
Rachael Adams (24:21.19)
It is a privilege to partner with him. But I’m just mindful because this is my personality. It’s not about your personality. I can let almost anyone shame me or make me feel guilty if I haven’t… because you do see so much need. You’re like, I know the man on the side of the road that I wish that I could help, you know, is pushing a grocery cart or, you know, like we do see so much need, especially in our social media culture, and it can feel very overwhelming. I’m one person with limited resources and time; I can get overwhelmed. Like, I want to do all these things, but I legitimately can’t. So talk to us about that. Like, we can almost burn ourselves out.
Rachael Adams (25:11.694)
Is it time we still have to sleep? We still have to eat? Do we still have to clean our house? You know, like we can’t forego everything to go with, like, you know, be Mother Teresa to everyone at all times. Can you talk about that? How do we avoid burnout when we’re exhausted and overwhelmed by this? Cause we don’t want people leaving feeling that way. You’re right. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Christy Gandy (25:23.392)
Right. Yeah. Yeah. What do they call that? Yeah, what do they call that? Is it compassion fatigue? I’ve heard it said. Yeah. Yeah. No, that’s a great question, an excellent point, and something that I have had to wrestle with before. And even just the other day, I felt the Lord convicting me and reminding me that he has not called me to save the whole world. On the one hand, we’re being so helpful and want to love all these people. But it can also be the other side of pride, you know, of like wanting to be the person who’s always meeting the need and wanting to be the one who’s praised because, Christy, you’re so giving and loving and thoughtful and whatever, you know, and that is still pride. I have long held that view, and God has reminded me that you’re not called to save everyone.
And the world’s not gonna fall apart if you are not the one who, you know, and so again, example, the other day there was a family in our church, and they had a meal train put together, and I intended to sign up for the meal train, and I just didn’t. And you know what, that meal train filled up without me, those people got loved on, and everything is gonna be okay. Like I, it’s not because I don’t care about them or that I’m not loving on other people. And so I think just reminding ourselves of that and giving ourselves permission to let go and say, you know what, it’s gonna be okay, God’s taking care of it. Now, if God prompts you explicitly to do something, then by all means, we need to obey. But we don’t need to feel the weight of the world on our shoulders, because He didn’t call us to do everything. As you said, we can’t do everything. We need to be mindful of our capacity and recognize that there are seasons when the only thing we can do is pray. And sometimes we’re tempted to think that, well, I can’t do anything except pray. Sometimes that’s the greatest thing that you can do. And that can be the most meaningful thing. And I was even thinking earlier, I remember one of my friends a year or two ago was walking through cancer, and it was a tough season for her.
Sometimes we would send her a quick text with a scripture verse or something we were praying for her. Or, I love it, you can send a voice message now. And a voice message praying for that person can be very meaningful. And it can take less than a minute. And that can be something: you may not be able to send a meal, mow their lawn, or whatever they might need; you can absolutely pray for them. You can send scripture, or you can let them know, “Hey, the Lord laid you on my heart today, and I just want you to know I’m thinking about you and I’m praying for you.” That can be enough, and yeah, not making ourselves feel like we’re a terrible person because we didn’t pack up and move to India, know, and serve the children in the slums. So yeah.
Rachael Adams (28:28.398)
Right, yeah, he’s the savior, not us, right? Yeah, I think we get this savior, known as you’re talking, I’m thinking about when my mom had cancer, and she lives in Cleveland, and then I live in Kentucky, and it was really hard for me because I couldn’t prepare a meal, couldn’t go and clean her house. Couldn’t go and mow her grass. Like I couldn’t do so many of the things, and I couldn’t even really be present as much as I wanted to be. I was some. And so I would send little gifts here and there, and then I would talk to her on the phone or send her texts. But the prayer was the thing that I could consistently do. And so we can do that for everybody everywhere. You don’t have to be with them. And so I think for those listening, it’s like that long-distance person that you want to love, well, prayer is the perfect place to start.
Christy Gandy (29:19.669)
Yeah, yeah. I remember I had a friend, she was getting ready for something, and it was just, it was hard, a lot was going on. For several days, I can’t remember whether it was a week or two weeks, but I told her, “I’m just gonna get on Marco Polo every day, and I’m just gonna pray over you.” And you don’t have to respond. And sometimes she did, sometimes she didn’t. But it was a quick, one-minute, maybe two minutes. But I just got on there, and that’s all I did was pray over her.
I feel like that is, and she has said before, she’s like, you know, that was so meaningful and powerful and just a reminder. And so I think, you know, just as a reminder to people who are listening, it doesn’t have to cost you any money, you know? I mean, I think it’s great when you can give a tangible gift, but something like that is compelling, straightforward, and doesn’t take much time yet can make a significant impact.
Rachael Adams (30:11.128)
I love that idea. I love Marco Polo too. And I think the beauty in that and boxer and all of those things, because sometimes when people are in those tough seasons of grief or sickness or whatever it may be, they don’t have the time or even the emotional capacity to respond. They’re just trying to survive in that moment and so just knowing taking the pressure off to say hey this is here when you want it when you get when you can listen no need to respond I think that’s really important to you So let’s talk to you the listener who maybe feels forgotten or unseen today like okay Kristi and Rachel like you’re talking about all the people that loved you so well I don’t have anybody in my life like that. Like, I don’t know that People you know, I’m trying to love people well, but people haven’t loved me. Well, I don’t even feel like the love of God. How would you speak and encourage her today?
Christy Gandy (31:04.722)
Yeah, well, you’re not alone. We all have seasons, you know, where we feel that way. I know I have had seasons when I feel that way, and I believe the Lord has reminded me. I love Matthew 6, where Jesus talks about how I really believe that God loves the unseen places. And it’s funny that you asked this question because that has been a word that’s actually been rolling around my head lately. I’ve told the Lord that I’m like, God, sometimes I feel so unseen. Like what I do doesn’t matter. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells them that God sees what is done in secret and will reward them as he loves the secret places, the quiet, hidden, unseen, as those things matter to him. And so just remembering that the things that the world praises, the things that the world elevates, are not the same as what God elevates. And so, remembering that he is at work even when we can’t see it. But I also love Luke 12:7: “He says,’ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.'”
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered, so don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” And I just, I read that last night, and I thought, thank you Lord, that you remind us that even when we feel forgotten by people, because people are humans, we are going to fail one another. We’re gonna disappoint each other. We’re not perfect, but our heavenly Father is perfect. And he says, “I have not forgotten the sparrows.”
And I have all of the hairs on your head numbered. So I have not forgotten you, even when you feel forgotten, it’s an opportunity to press into him and to let him love us in a way that fulfills us and sustains us, that humans just won’t ever be able to fully. I know that, I know sometimes that feels cliche, like, you know. Still, God sees you, but it’s true. You know, and sometimes we have to choose to rest in that because we can’t control what other people do. And God says, But I do care, and I do see you. And so, choosing to meditate on those truths rather than focusing on what people don’t do. We can sometimes get into a spiral in our heads, where we focus on the negative: what people aren’t doing, what they said that made us mad, what they didn’t do. I know I’ve certainly been there before, and God just often convicts me. Christy, you need to shift your thinking and focus on what is true. You need to think about what I have done for you. What do you have to be grateful for? It does change my perspective. It doesn’t always happen immediately, but just remembering the truth of what he says, that he sees us and we do matter to him.
Rachael Adams (34:04.75)
It’s important to acknowledge that people are not perfect and will fail. We’re going to forget each other, and I do daily. I’m the host of the live offering podcast, and I don’t always act lovingly. And I’m sure you would say like I don’t always love well, like this is my business, and like you know our families, if they were on right now they’d probably be like yes, these ladies don’t have it all together, right? So for the woman listening right now, that’s thinking, “Okay, I don’t have anyone loving me well right now.” Like maybe be the friend that you wish you had, you know, if nobody supported you, like go and help somebody else. One of the best ways to get out of a funk when you’re just feeling like all in your feels like we all do is to go and serve somebody else. Right now, okay, word, and who do you want me to serve and live with today? And it really is more blessed to give than to receive. It will begin to transform your heart in a new way. You think?
Christy Gandy (35:08.502)
Yeah, it can be addictive sometimes because it’s so fun. I love doing things anonymously, or I also love doing things people just didn’t expect, know. So it’s really fun to leave something for somebody or write a note or whatever, and then tell them later, like check your mailbox or your front porch or whatever, know, and just yes, you’re right. That’s what we have to do. We have to choose to love people the way that we want to be loved, and then they may need someone to model it for them. They may never have considered doing something like that. Once you do it for them, they will be prompted to reciprocate.
Rachael Adams (35:49.551)
Okay, let’s talk about that, because we may be doing all these wonderful, good deeds, and what if we don’t get the response we think we deserve? You know, cuz that is a thing like okay, I’m doing this great act of service, but yet the person barely responds or doesn’t act grateful at all. That’s hard because we’re not always going to have A plus B equals C. You may leave it as “no response” or provide a negative response. Have you ever? I don’t know.
Christy Gandy (36:17.418)
Right. Yes, no, I know what you mean. Yeah, and I think that that really goes back to my heart. Why am I doing it? Am I doing it to be seen, which even goes back to Matthew 6? Am I doing it to be seen by people? Am I doing it because I want the praise of men here on earth? Or am I doing it because God loved me first? And so out of the overflow of his love for me, I’m gonna turn around and love people because he tells me to.
Rachael Adams (36:19.244)
Does that evoke any thought in you?
Christy Gandy (36:41.482)
I think that is something we do have to wrestle with, because you’re right, it does hurt when you don’t get a thank-you or when people act like it’s not a big deal, or you’re like, “I just spent $100 on a meal for you.” And you know what I mean? Like you’re right. Sometimes it can feel like this was a big sacrifice. But again, I think that you have to give it to the Lord and say, Okay, Lord, I’m choosing to serve because this is what you’ve called me to do. And I’m so grateful for what you’ve done for me. And so this is an opportunity for me to love the people around me. And you know, what happens is really in his… And again, we can’t control how they respond anyway. And so if I sit and stew in bitterness, that’s not solving anything. And so, yes, I have had to give it to the Lord before and do what’s right and trust that He’s gonna… He’ll take care of it, you know.
Rachael Adams (37:32.652)
That’s right. That’s right. You’ve already given some strong biblical examples, but I’d like to know if you have another. Is there a biblical example or concept of love that captures the Well Collective?
Christy Gandy (37:46.773)
Yeah, which is interesting, following on from what we just talked about. So one of my favorite verses, and I actually have this on the postcard that I put in the boxes that I send, but Proverbs 11:25 says, A generous person will prosper, and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. As we were saying, it’s not a promise. It doesn’t mean that just because you love other people, they’ll love you in return.
But, you know, God does tell us that we will, you know, when we are faithful, when we are generous, then He does bless us. And it may look different. It may not be that, you know, someone turns around and, you know, does the same thing for me. But I appreciate the reminder that when we refresh others, as we were saying, we are blessed in return. And maybe it’s just the joy that God gives us from knowing that, you know what, I made a difference in someone’s life today.
I think that when we do it out of the desire to serve the Lord and to obey Him and to show gratitude for what He’s done for us, there is this joy that we even can’t fully explain sometimes that He just gives us this satisfaction of, I don’t know, just an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what He’s done for us. And so anyway, I do love that verse though, just reminding, yeah, when you choose to be generous, when you decide to do something, even go an extra mile for other people, thinking about other people. You will be blessed and return in whatever way God wants to bless you.
Rachael Adams (39:26.431)
I love that promise. Well, so tell us something you are loving right now. It doesn’t have to be. It can be anything, but I’m like, gosh, you’ve had so many products in all of your boxes. How do you choose? Like, is it just things you love?
Christy Gandy (39:42.615)
When it comes to things I love, I am thoughtful about what someone might want. I try to find comforting things. I think about what I would like to send someone and what I would like to receive if I were going through a similar situation. One thing I love is candles. I am a candle girl through and through. I almost always have a candle burning.
Christy Gandy (40:05.238)
And so one of my friends owns a really sweet candle company. Several months ago, she started a candle-of-the-month club where she automatically sends you a candle each month. I know it always arrives at the end of the month, and I get so excited about it. And so anyway, I know that sounds silly, but her candles are in my boxes right now. If you visit my website, you’ll find beautiful candles she’s poured. They arrive at the end of every month, are clean, hand-poured, and attractive. Don’t know. I have two boys, my husband, and two dogs, and even the dogs are male. And so I’m literally the only female in my house. And I realized a couple of years ago that fragrance was essential to me. And I started thinking about it, and I thought, you know, it’s probably because males surround me, and I want everything to smell good. I want my house to smell good. I want my car to smell good. I want to smell good. Like, I want everything to smell good. Anyway, that’s what I’m enjoying.
Rachael Adams (41:13.358)
Do you have a favorite scent? Does it just depend on the season? Yes, I’m a seasonal scent girl, too. No, I’m a fan of candles too. It makes it cozy, and I don’t know, there’s something about the warmth that it creates, like in your heart and in your home. Yeah, yeah, we’ll have to include a link to that too, then your candle company or not your friend’s candle company.
Christy Gandy (41:17.974)
Yeah, probably. Yeah, I don’t have just one. Mm hmm. Yeah.
Christy Gandy (41:30.646)
Yeah, yeah, just soothing. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Rachael Adams (41:40.322)
I want to stay connected with you. I’m sure listeners will want to, so tell us how we can do that best.
Christy Gandy (41:46.933)
Yeah, I’m on Instagram and Facebook. It’s at lovewellco.shop. And then my website is lovewellcollective.com. So, those are the easiest ways to reach me.
Rachael Adams (42:00.641)
Would you do us the honor of praying for us as we close today?
Christy Gandy (42:05.48)
Absolutely. God, we love you so much. Lord, we thank you that you have loved us first. And so out of the overflow of your love for us, we get to love those around us. And God, I thank you for the reminder that we don’t go through life alone. Lord, you’ve told us that you are the friend who sticks closer than a brother, that you are our shepherd, Father, that when we’re with you, we have all that we need, God. So I pray for the listeners today, God, who are surrounded by people who are hurting. Lord, I pray that you would help them see the needs around them and that they would reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus in tangible ways. God, would you give them the confidence to do that? And I pray that even just some of the ideas, maybe they’ve heard today, Lord, that they would be moved in their spirit to do something in a way that would bless those around them.
For the one who feels unseen today and unloved, God, would you wrap them up in your love? Father, would you overwhelm them with reminders of who you are and how much you love them? God, you tell us that nothing can pluck us out of the palm of your hand. And so I pray that you remind them that they are chosen, seen, and loved by you. You are a good, good God. You’ve given us so much more than we deserve. We thank you for that. We thank you for Jesus and the sacrifice of his love. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Rachael Adams (43:28.948)
Amen. Thank you for loving me well and helping us love others well. I really appreciate your time.
Christy Gandy (43:36.64)
Well, thanks for having me. It’s been such an honor. I’m thankful for you and for your ministry.
Rachael Adams (43:42.882)
Thank you so much for listening to the Love Offering Podcast. I hope today’s conversation encouraged and inspired you to love God, love others, and even love yourself a little more. If you enjoyed the episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review. It helps others find the show and spreads the message of love even further. Connect with me: visit my website at RachelKAdams.com. While you’re there, be sure to download the Love Offering Calendar, a free resource filled with simple daily ways to love those around you. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of my book, Everyday Prayers for Love: Learning to Love God, Others, and Even Yourself, and visit Christy’s site, LoveWellCollective.com, to start loving others well today. Thank you to Life Audio for supporting this podcast and enabling us to fund more great podcasts. Visit LifeAudio.com. Thanks again for joining us today. Until next time, let’s make our lives an offering of love.
Download the free Love Offering Calendar:
