I like to think of myself as a generous person. I try to live my life with an open heart and
open hands and an open home. I’ve been
blessed throughout my life and haven’t had to want for much. And, I’ve always wanted to use what I have to
bless others.
My mom taught us to be generous from an early age. She taught kindergarten and first grade in a
poor rural school district. She had kids
in her class who didn’t have much. They
came to school in tattered clothes. They
didn’t have coats to wear when it got cold outside. And, there wasn’t enough left at
Christmastime for turkey and a tree – much less for presents for the kids.
I remember this so clearly.
One year there was a child in her class whose family was having a
particularly rough time. They were
farmers who were barely making enough to get by. At Christmas that year, my mom had me and my
sister go through our toys and pick out a few things that we could give to the
children in that family. Then, she went
and bought them a turkey and bought gloves, hats, and scarves for the kids. But, here’s the part that I remember the
most. We took the boxes of toys and food
and delivered them to this family. When
we got to their house, it was literally falling down. The boards on the porch were rotting and
broken. There were cracks in the walls
that were big enough to see through. It
was the first time I really remember seeing poverty, and it was such a stark
contrast to my warm cozy home.
The thing is – we weren’t rich ourselves. We bought our clothes at the second-hand
store. We didn’t drive a new car or take
luxurious vacations. We always had
enough, but we didn’t always have extra.
But, my mom always found a way to share what we did have with others who
needed it – whether it was students who weren’t going to have Christmas or
shut-ins that didn’t have family close by and weren’t going to have
Thanksgiving dinner.
Fast forward to 2017. This year has been a tough year financially for my
family. We had a couple of months where
it was a struggle to make ends meet. Plus,
we have a lot of expenses coming up over the next few months as daughter number
one is heading off to college in another state.
And, I’ve found myself holding on a little too tightly to what I
have. The “what-ifs” in my mind have
been screaming so loudly that they have started to drown out that still small
voice calling me to love my neighbor as myself.
You see, it’s relatively easy to be generous when you’re giving
out of your abundance. But, it’s a whole
different thing when giving costs you something – when writing that check to
help someone else might cost you something that you want or need. It’s like the story of the widow’s mite in
Luke 21:1-4. Others were giving large
offerings, but she only put in two coins.
Her offering didn’t look like much in comparison. But, Jesus said “The plain truth is that this
widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made
offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t
afford—she gave her all!”
So, here’s the lesson that I’m learning: Don’t
let fear prevent you from being generous.
Don’t let fear be the loudest voice in your life. Don’t let fear drive your decisions on how to
steward the gifts that God has given to you. Instead, put love in the driver’s seat. Let that be your lens as you consider the
world around you. And, ultimately, “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John
4:18)
That’s why, in this season of giving, I’m reminding myself to lead with love – to give generously without
expecting anything in return – and to trust the One who is the giver of all good
gifts because I know that He cares for me.
