Giving

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

In this scriptural passage, Paul shares the important but oft forgotten truth that giving has more to do with attitude than the amount. These two stories seem to illustrate this point.

A number of years ago, a woman’s office got a fax machine for the first time. The woman’s daughter suggested that the two of them send their correspondence by fax instead of using the post office. Although she told her mother many times that faxing was a faster and less expensive way to communicate, her mother continued to send her mail by weekly letters.

On the girl’s birthday, however, her mother showed that she had a full grasp of the technology. She faxed her a $100 bill with the note: "Happy Birthday. Darling. You're right--it is cheaper to fax than to mail. Love, Mom."

Now, contrast that story with this story from small town America.

For months, the residents in a small, midwestern town endured the clouds of dirt that swirled about when Main Street was torn up for repair. The arrival of the paving crew, therefore, was a major event.

One woman was so glad to see them that she dashed into her kitchen and whipped up a dinner of fried chicken and apple pie to feed the work crew. When she presented the pie to the foreman, he said, "Ma'am, if that were a chocolate pie, we'd have paved your driveway too!"

Phyllis laughed. Then she went back into the house and came out with a chocolate pie before heading off to work. When she returned, the crew was gone, and an empty pie plate sat in the middle of a brand-new driveway.

Giving has more to do with attitude than the amount. Not a bad thing to remember. Whether we’re giving time, talents, money, or any other resource, the Lord really does love a “cheerful giver!”

With Love,

Mike