If I look back at my life, I can see all the ways that I have benefited from the generosity of others. The bags of clothes when my kids were small and I was worried about keeping up with their growth and our almost nonexistent budget. The random letter from an anonymous fellow member of my fitness forum with cash in it, telling me to go and have a night out with my husband. The lovely woman from a homeschool forum who sent us a pair of Japanese clogs she found at a thrift store when she realized we were rowing A Pair of Red Clogs.
One of my favorites stories is from when my daughter was only 18 months old. I had managed to knit her a Christmas dress with some leftover yarn I had in my stash. But I didn’t have any shoes. I knew I was being completely shallow but I just didn’t want her to go to Christmas Eve service in her sneakers, the only pair of shoes she owned.
I remember feeling too embarrassed to even pray about it. Click To Tweet
An acquaintance at church offered me a large bag of handmedowns and when I got the bag home the first item on top was a pair of little girl’s black, patent leather, dress shoes. God had heard me. Even though it was unnecessary and perhaps even unreasonable, he had provided me with exactly what I wanted to show me that he cares about me.
Just as I love my children and enjoy surprising them spontaneously with trips for ice cream or a new shirt with one of their favorite cartoon characters, I believe, at times, God enjoys blessing us, just for the joy of it. Click To TweetGod has a generous heart towards us. Realizing this is one of the first steps towards being generous ourselves. We have to remember that he is for us and has our best interests at heart, even if we can’t always see what they are.
Reminding ourselves of the ways God has used others to bless us, lays the groundwork to cultivating a heart of generosity.
Next – Day 2: But What If I Need It? Being Generous When it Scares Us
God has shown me God’s goodness through others too. Love the stories you shared here.