I have recently been studying the idea of generosity for a children’s sermon I am to give later in the month. I have really been moved to think about my own generosity or lack thereof at times over the years. People often think “if I only had more, I could give more”. I know I have often thought that way. However, there is so much we can give that does not take money. Generosity is not only for the wealthy. I recently watched a video where, when given some money, a homeless man went into a store and bought bread and meat and made sandwiches for others that were also in the same predicament. He didn’t have much at all and yet he gave generously.
The story I am going to be sharing with the kids is about a widow woman who gives the last of her bread to the prophet Elijah even though it’s the last thing she has to eat for herself and her son. The story ends with her never running out of flour and oil to make bread because of her generosity. Even if you do not have a lot of money you can be rich with generosity! It does not take money to be generous. You can give of your talents, your kind words, a helping hand or simply of your time. Some of the items, we can will never run out of if we give. Though it took a miracle for the oil and flour not to run out for the widow, things like kind words and smiles can be given abundantly and we continue to have just as many as when we gave them away.
In The Mandt System we say we want to interact in a way that builds people up. Being generous is building others up. A smile, some time, or a kind word may be just what a person needs that day. When you give that smile or kind word you are left with just as much as before you gave them away. Smiles and kind words cost you nothing but could be priceless to the person receiving them. Choose generosity in 2019!
Tim Geels – SVP of Corporate Instruction and Implementation
