There is no worse place for your child to have the stomach bug than on an international flight. Our ten-month-old son had already been sick twice—once in his crib, and once on a bus ride to Heathrow Airport. By the third time, our plane was soaring west, high above the Atlantic Ocean. Flight attendants arrived with cleaning solvent and towels, while I tried not to cry—the baby was doing enough of that for the both of us. I had run out of clean clothes, for him and for me. After we cleaned up as best as we could, a woman seated next to me, bouncing an infant on her lap, leaned over.
“Does he need some clothes?” she asked, her British accent calm and kind. She began to dig in her purse. “I think they’re about the same size.”
To this day, that baby onesie continues to be one of the kindest gifts I’ve ever received. I would not have blamed that woman if she asked the flight attendant to change her seat. But instead, she stepped closer to my distress, and met me right in my desperate need.
Giving need not be mysterious, difficult, or ostentatious. An envelope of cash, slipped into a mailbox in secret. A lawn mowed without a word about the effort. A few hours spent at a soup kitchen, doling out warmth in a cold winter storm. Giving is an opportunity toward more creative, beautiful ways to bless the weary world around us. The discipline of giving generously toward others always gives an even better gift in return through the Spirit: joy.
The grace of giving is a balm for humanity. Everywhere you look (if you look) you will find people in need. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the Lord extols the virtue of sacrificial giving. We are encouraged to give to the work of the kingdom (Mark 12:13–17), to the Church (2 Corinthians 9:6–9), foreigners (Deuteronomy 14:28–29), the fatherless (Psalm 82:3), and widows (Psalm 146:5–9). As we see in the story of the widow’s offering, generosity is never a question of how much. When we believe that “the earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD” (Psalm 24:1)—including our money, time, and resources—there is nothing to keep us from giving what we have away, even if it feels like pennies. God, in His kindness, knows what we need.
Christ invites us into the same selfless giving that defined His life. The kind that makes your jaw drop and your heart leap. And the best part is, the practice of giving and its fruit bless others, but they also transform us in the process; our lives get to become the living embodiment of Christ to the world. My little gifts become tiny echoes, pointing to God’s ultimate gift. How cool is that?
So begin today. Look around, and see where you might give spontaneously and abundantly. God sees all, and will fill your spirit with joy, even as He blesses the world through your giving.
I’m amazed how the young can learn by example. At Christmas, I had asked the sister of the little girl I take care to include my sister in the card making that we were doing. She not only wanted to include my sister in the card making she wanted to make sure that Finley and she had made a gift to give her. We are making Valentine’s for their family and out of the blue Kyla, Finley’s sister, said we need to include your sister on the list. I wanted to cry. Giving can be taught at an early age and by example.
Have a blessed day sisters.
Giving always brings me such joy!
“My little gifts become tiny echoes pointing to God’s ultimate gift.” I love this description! Also the reminder that giving isn’t just monetary.
♥️
Praying to see opportunities during COVID I’ve been away from community and seeing others needs not able to serve but try to be creative and aware. The focus has been more on immediate Famiky but maybe that is just what God has for me in this time. It’s good to check my heart and motives before him now.
When I read about giving, my mind always go back to a devotional I heard years ago on Ecclesiastes 11:2a – “Give a portion to seven and also to eight…” When I feel like I have no more to give and I see a need, I should still give to that one. In most cases I find that not only is the recipient blessed, but I am as well.
It’s so true that God blesses the giver and the receiver with great joy! My favorite way to give is of my talents and treasures. I love to cook and bake, and nothing brings me more joy than sharing that with others. That has been hard to do in the last year, but it has still been fulfilling to leave little surprises at people’s doorsteps (especially because I cannot stop baking full recipes of things and there are only two of us in my house! Haha) . I can’t wait for the day when we can once again break bread together, sharing in fellowship and food! This year I’ve also become more involved in my neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook group which is truly such a joy. The whole premise is to give things away to other neighbors in the group. I’ve loved seeing the community come together and give freely of their resources (whether those that no longer serve them, or just out of abundance). It has reshaped the way I view parting with my belongings, as there is much more joy to be had in giving them to someone rather than selling for profit if you are able to do so.
I am still learning about giving after many years as a believer. Life situations change and finances change, yet we are still called to give. I can have a scarcity mentality that the Lord is working on. We just had a year of unemployment and almost no income, yet we have savings. It was a big shift to give out of our savings and not our income. So thankful for my husband who prompts our giving more than I sometimes would. The Lord has used that to open my hands.