The Gift that Keeps Giving

A few days ago someone from Steveston contacted me and said, "My girlfriend and I would like to anonymously help out a family in need this Christmas. Do you know of a family we could assist?"

I made a connection for them. They shopped, I picked up their gifts, dropped them off to the other family, and thought that was the end of that.

A day later, the same person texted and said, "My friend found out what we were doing and wants to do the same for another family. Do you know a different family for whom our friend could buy Christmas dinner?"

I spoke with the friend, made a connection to another family, and thought that was that.

Then yesterday, a friend of the friend of the original person contacted me and said, "My friend told me you helped her buy Christmas dinner for a family. I would like to do the same. Do you know of someone we could help?"

So I called the first family to receive a Christmas dinner and asked them if they knew of another family. They did, I made the connection, and perhaps that is that...

From one initial act of generosity, three families in Steveston received a tremendous Christmas blessing.

When I passed on the recipients' effusive thanks to the givers, they were all incredibly touched. I would even venture to say that the givers received as much joy (if not more) from the act of giving than did the recipients of the gift.

That's the way generosity works. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving - it moves forward (inspiring others to do the same), and it moves backward (filling the givers with a sense of joy they would not have know without the generous act).

Proverbs 11:24-25 shares an interesting perspective on generosity:

24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.

These words seem to imply that yes, generosity is a gift that keeps on giving. "Growing richer..." doesn't necessarily apply to only financial matters. The three people who gave to three families did not receive any financial compensation for their giving, but they by the end of the experience they were definitely richer. They watered the soul of another, and their own souls were watered in return.

The above verses also address the other side of the coin: those of us who live tightfisted will always be in want - not because we don''t have enough, but because we will simply want more than we have.

In other words, generosity cures us of the curse of always wanting more (also know as the disease of affluenza, or the desire to be affluent).

PAUSE and REFLECT: What is your general attitude toward giving? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look back at 2021 and at the times you had to make a decision about whether to be generous or not. What do you see more of in 2021 - openhanded generosity, or tightfisted stinginess?

If you're not sure, maybe look back and ask whether your soul was watered in 2021. Chances are, if it was, your attitude toward generosity may have played a part.

Remember, generosity applies to more than money. It applies to any resource we "own" - money, possessions, time, energy. Are you tightfisted or openhanded with these things?

Remember also, generosity is NOT generosity unless it comes with no strings attached. If we give because we want something or want to control or influence someone to do what we want, we are not being generous. We are being worse than stingy - we are being manipulative.

The best way to protect yourself from this is to do your giving in secret. Anonymity prevents manipulation.

So I invite you to end this year by asking God one question: "Whose soul can I water before the end of 2021?" Your watering will involve you being generous with one of your resources, and it will be a powerful way to close out the year.

Finally, a friendly reminder about the Incarnation. Earlier I stated: "I would even venture to say that the givers received as much joy (if not more) from the act of giving than did the recipients of the gift." This is exactly how God the Father feels in giving you the gift of his Son.

The act of giving us Jesus caused God great joy! He didn't drag his feet about it or do it with a dejected sigh. God whooped for joy when Jesus was born in a manger.

Let that thought warm your soul and inspire you to similar generosity.