Who is the most generous person you know? Is it a friend, a parent, or your spouse? A neighbor, someone you volunteer with, or a community leader? How about your pastor, your grandparent, or even your child?
Now, ponder what makes this person so generous. Is it the money or gifts they give? Is it the way they treat others? Do you see in them a generosity of kindness, respect, thoughtfulness, and service? Is it their hospitality? Is it the way they freely share their skills or their time? Maybe all of the above.
When a couple’s roof was destroyed in a hailstorm, their granddaughter came with a handful of coins—less than $1 in change. Giving with the true spirit of generosity, she said,
“This was mine, but I’m giving it to you so you can buy a new roof for your house.”
A generous person doesn’t wring their hands about the size of a need or fret about what they have given away. Generous people simply see opportunities and, trusting the Lord, step up to meet them.
Those grandparents were touched by their granddaughter’s spirit, and instead of spending those coins, they locked them away safely with a note about the event. One day in the future, the grandparents plan to give those coins back and tell their granddaughter how much her act of generosity meant to them.
For those who have chosen to live the giving life, perhaps this is a foreshadowing of heaven—the opportunity to meet individuals who were blessed by acts of generosity, small and large, and mutually share in the joy of that kindness. Perhaps that is what Paul meant when he said those who are willing to share “take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19 NASB).
