Luke 6:38
For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Early in my life, I learned what a joy it is to give to others – particularly from the examples of my paternal grandparents. My grandfather loved to show up on our doorstep on a Saturday morning with a truckload of new furniture. He “outfitted” all of our bedrooms over time with pieces that still fill my parents’ house today. But he and my grandmother also loved to share an extra bushel of peas or a few pounds of Black Angus beef with family and friends. My grandmother spent hours sewing tiny Barbie doll clothes for my sister and me… and they both enjoyed helping the needy and lending a hand where possible.
December 20, 1981, my grandparents’ house burned to the ground. It was a crisp Sunday morning, and as my grandmother fried sausage for breakfast and Pap-pa fed his cows, the fire quickly consumed their very old farm house and virtually everything in it. They managed to move their vehicles…grab their clothes, the mantel clock, and the family Bible…and get out with their lives. One year shy of their 50th wedding anniversary – at ages 70 and 69 – my grandparents were pretty well stripped bare of all physical belongings.
In the months that followed, a new house was built for them only yards away from the site of the old home…and people showered them with gifts of household items, furnishings, food, and money. Friends who wintered in the deep South offered the use of their home while they were away…so my grandparents had a cozy house in which to stay while theirs was under construction. The builder re-worked his already busy schedule, so that the house could be erected quickly, and my grandparents could get back to their farm as quickly as possible.
By the time my grandparents moved into their new home in early 1982, they had all of the household items and furnishings they needed to be cozy and comfortable. Their lifetime of giving was pressed down and shaken together…and room was made for an overflow of contributions, as they pretty well started over.
This experience made me keenly aware of what a blessing it is go give to others. Once we understand the joy of giving, it often becomes second nature. I am not talking about tangible gifts or monetary donations, although it can feel good to give these, as well. But we all can give according to our abilities. Every one of us can serve others in some capacity. We can share what we have with those who are in need…or just to put a smile on someone else’s face.
In Giddy Up, Eunice!*, Sophie Hudson tells about her mother-in-law, Martha, who spent the entire afternoon with a friend who had moved into a nursing home. She visited with the lady, folded her clothes, and just kept her company. And when Martha left, the friend, said, “It was good to see you, Dot!” Hudson notes that Martha kept going back to visit this lady. Why? Because that was Martha’s gift to her friend. The friend didn’t remember Martha’s name…but she enjoyed the visit. They laughed together and shared conversation…and it didn’t matter what the friend knew who she was - or didn’t. Martha got the blessing anyway. And heaven forbid…should Martha ever end up in such a facility, it sounds like there would be a line out the door of folks waiting to spend an afternoon with her!
We shouldn’t give in order to be rewarded or blessed. We should give because God gave us the most perfect Gift – Jesus Christ. We should want give out of love and a desire to emulate Jesus. But the beautiful thing is that when we give, God blesses…sometimes to abundant excess…because He loves us so much! Study the lives of those you know who are good at giving…and learn from their examples. Look around and see where you can give…not with the expectation of getting, but because it just feels that good! Then be prepared to be blessed beyond measure…because that’s exactly how God operates!
©2016 Debbie Robus
*Giddy Up, Eunice! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Giddy-Up-Eunice-Because-Women/dp/1433643111
For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Early in my life, I learned what a joy it is to give to others – particularly from the examples of my paternal grandparents. My grandfather loved to show up on our doorstep on a Saturday morning with a truckload of new furniture. He “outfitted” all of our bedrooms over time with pieces that still fill my parents’ house today. But he and my grandmother also loved to share an extra bushel of peas or a few pounds of Black Angus beef with family and friends. My grandmother spent hours sewing tiny Barbie doll clothes for my sister and me… and they both enjoyed helping the needy and lending a hand where possible.
December 20, 1981, my grandparents’ house burned to the ground. It was a crisp Sunday morning, and as my grandmother fried sausage for breakfast and Pap-pa fed his cows, the fire quickly consumed their very old farm house and virtually everything in it. They managed to move their vehicles…grab their clothes, the mantel clock, and the family Bible…and get out with their lives. One year shy of their 50th wedding anniversary – at ages 70 and 69 – my grandparents were pretty well stripped bare of all physical belongings.
In the months that followed, a new house was built for them only yards away from the site of the old home…and people showered them with gifts of household items, furnishings, food, and money. Friends who wintered in the deep South offered the use of their home while they were away…so my grandparents had a cozy house in which to stay while theirs was under construction. The builder re-worked his already busy schedule, so that the house could be erected quickly, and my grandparents could get back to their farm as quickly as possible.
By the time my grandparents moved into their new home in early 1982, they had all of the household items and furnishings they needed to be cozy and comfortable. Their lifetime of giving was pressed down and shaken together…and room was made for an overflow of contributions, as they pretty well started over.
This experience made me keenly aware of what a blessing it is go give to others. Once we understand the joy of giving, it often becomes second nature. I am not talking about tangible gifts or monetary donations, although it can feel good to give these, as well. But we all can give according to our abilities. Every one of us can serve others in some capacity. We can share what we have with those who are in need…or just to put a smile on someone else’s face.
In Giddy Up, Eunice!*, Sophie Hudson tells about her mother-in-law, Martha, who spent the entire afternoon with a friend who had moved into a nursing home. She visited with the lady, folded her clothes, and just kept her company. And when Martha left, the friend, said, “It was good to see you, Dot!” Hudson notes that Martha kept going back to visit this lady. Why? Because that was Martha’s gift to her friend. The friend didn’t remember Martha’s name…but she enjoyed the visit. They laughed together and shared conversation…and it didn’t matter what the friend knew who she was - or didn’t. Martha got the blessing anyway. And heaven forbid…should Martha ever end up in such a facility, it sounds like there would be a line out the door of folks waiting to spend an afternoon with her!
We shouldn’t give in order to be rewarded or blessed. We should give because God gave us the most perfect Gift – Jesus Christ. We should want give out of love and a desire to emulate Jesus. But the beautiful thing is that when we give, God blesses…sometimes to abundant excess…because He loves us so much! Study the lives of those you know who are good at giving…and learn from their examples. Look around and see where you can give…not with the expectation of getting, but because it just feels that good! Then be prepared to be blessed beyond measure…because that’s exactly how God operates!
©2016 Debbie Robus
*Giddy Up, Eunice! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Giddy-Up-Eunice-Because-Women/dp/1433643111
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