How do you feel about selling  handmade palanca and agape for others to give? We have a website that focuses on palanca and agape which, most often are little handmade gifts, among other things.  The site is created to be a resource for providing ideas for these gifts plus other things that are useful to those in the 4th day community.  Also, on the site is ready made palanca and agape available for sale.  It has been a challenge making the 4th day community aware of our site.
There’s not only the idea resource, but I also offer handmade palanca and agape ready made and available for sale. Â I have discovered the hard way, that some people’s first response to the idea of selling these gifts is often one of offense. Â They immediately think that I am commercializing a special aspect of the weekend and feel its really a horrible thing to do. Â So, I have with a little trepidation reached out to groups that have formed on Facebook after attending a Walk to Emmaus, Tres Dias or Via de Cristo weekend retreat. Â The trepidation comes from not knowing how I will be received because of the thoughts and feelings about the idea of ‘selling’ palanca and agape.
However, I found an overwhelmingly positive response to my invitation to visit our resource of ideas for handmade palanca and agape, with only a few negative comments. What I discovered in response to those negative comments was interesting and encouraging.  There were only two negative comments out of 5oo hits to the website.  One man was intentionally sarcastic about my ‘selling’ palanca and how could I do that, he asked? In an almost immediate reply to the negative facebook comment from someone I didn’t know and it was in my defense! Boy, was I surprised? I like what he said, because he said it so well.
“… in reference to sarcasm in your wording I am responding with a little FYI couched in the ‘Judge Not Less Ye Be’ vein….. At one time back in the day when we were a little more Ecumenical among the various expressions Palanca Supply Sources were very popular. Â Our community has had a tradition of creating our own for many years now but that has not always been the case. The Walk to Emmaus group still relies heavily on these sources is my opinion. If you will check Katrina’s home page and then link to Fourth Day I believe that you will see what I mean. Because we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ with a common purpose and still desire to share that unique gift representing our love to the guest God chose for a weekend. Â I have no problem with what is an obviously legitimate source of 4th Day material being offered on a page identified as a Via de Cristo site.”
The second negative comment was ‘agape should NOT be handled that way’! She said, she felt is was not very Godly. Â I hesitated to respond because I didn’t want to offend in anyway, nor did I feel like I had to defend either, so I waited and others in the group responded in support of the resource and website. Â I piped in to explain that it was all about sharing creative ideas of expressing God’s love. Â I explained that it is the prayer invested in the handmade gifts that made them Godly (giving them the power to change the hearts and minds of the recipients) and that I didn’t believe the prayer would be negated if the gifts were sold for someone else to give. Â I said, I had some things available for sale as an option of convenience for those who might find it helpful because they were short on time or maybe not the crafty kind.
The two negative comments opened the door to help create a paradigm shift in the selling of handmade palanca and agape. Â It was a blessing that someone else was able to do some of the explaining for me and it was wonderful I didn’t even ask! Â What do you think? Â Tell me your feelings about using your creativity and selling handmade palanca and agape for others to give.
Look around our store to find something you’d like to give to bless your team and candidates at your next weekend or see our resource of ideas.