Giving Generously
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
There's an old proverb that says that whatever you give is what you will receive. Many people hear this phrase and immediately think of the countless ways in which their finances will grow astronomically. Of course, there's no doubt that God will bless anyone with a kind and generous heart, but that doesn't mean that He will only bless them in their finances.
A generous heart might be rewarded in seemingly small ways - a smile for the soul, a quiet blessing, or even a pat on the back. Yet the nature of the reward is not what’s important in giving generously. What's important is to give wholeheartedly, without expectations and without boundaries. We become living embodiments of what Jesus showed us with His life when we help like He helped, give like He gave, and love like He loved.
Once we know this, all that's left is to ask ourselves: “How are we giving?”
Do we allow ourselves be vulnerable with our time, resources, and skills? Do we give freely and without limits?
This is a reality that we desire, but that is also hard to reach because it forces us to reflect on our actions thus far and to evaluate the intentions behind our giving. Although it’s hard to achieve, it’s something that we continue to work towards by taking one small step at a time. I know it's hard to be selfless and give wholeheartedly without worrying about the soundness and implications of our decision to give, but as we give one small step of faith at a time, we’ll see how giving generously will change us and shape us.
I know that Thanksgiving is still far off, but I want to extend a personal thank you to everyone who has helped us come this far. Thank you to all of those who have helped us stay and walk in the plans that God has for us. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered with us and given their time, effort, and talents. Thank you to the communities that have opened their doors to us and allowed us to impact others’ lives. Finally, thank you to everyone that has helped us financially. We appreciate every penny that has been so generously donated to us and we thank you for believing in the mission God has given us.
Thank you all for your generosity. You’ve taught us how to be generous and you’ve impacted more people than you will ever know.
William Rivero
Service Liaison