Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer
want. ²⁵  A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.
 NRS Proverbs 11:24

There are certain things in my past that seem to hang on to me.  Some of that is good, some not so good.  Some of the things that I remember from time to time I do not wear with pride, but they help me to live better today than I did yesterday.  One such thing was a child who lived near us and came to our house to play with our children when they were about six years of age.  She and her parents lived in our neighborhood and seemed to be in better financial condition than were we.  Yet, this child always seemed hungry when she came to our house, nearly every day.  We were doing all we could to get by, but after a while I developed resentment about feeding this child.  In my jaded thinking, I feared that she would “eat us out of house and home.”  I wish we had done something different.

Years later, in another community, Linda and I talked with a couple about some problems we were having during our daughters’ teen years.  They shared how they had purchased a refrigerator when their children were young, putting it in the garage.  They kept it stocked with “kid food.”  Whenever their children brought friends over, the parents would take them to the garage, open the refrigerator and say, “This is your refrigerator. Anything here, you can have.  You don’t need to come and ask me if you can get anything. This is yours, anytime you want it.  Help yourself.”  The result?  Their home became the place their children’s friends wanted to “hang out.”  Nearly always, they knew where their children were and who were their friends. 

We followed suit.  We did not buy a refrigerator, but we kept food and drinks available all the time and told our children’s friends that our refrigerator was theirs and they did not need our permission to eat out of it.  In time, our daughters’ friends started spending more time at our home.  We freely gave and the rewards were many-fold greater than what we gave.
There are times when it is still hard for me to give freely.  I wish that were not the case.  Sometimes when that is true, I think of the two experiences above.  My past helps me to focus on a more effective way for the future.

May we individually and congregationally learn how to be effective givers!  The blessings will be great.

Dawn Breaker #88: My attitude about giving determines the richness of my life.

"There are a number of guidelines I try to follow in life and ministry. I find that when I follow them, situations sometimes become like the rising of the sun.  There is a luminous glow turning to great light, and occasionally, inspiration.  When I don't follow these adopted guidelines, they sometimes become Don breakers, making life frustrating at best.   I do not suggest you should live by all the principles I choose for my life.  If they are helpful for you, make them your own.  They work for me."

Don Shelton