A Generous Parable

Have you ever been hungry?
Really hungry?  Dead cold hungry? 

Sometimes a driver will throw me their left-over Taco Bell.  You eat the taco or whatever and you look at the hot sauce, you pocket it.  You can get a good day or two before that hot sauce starts to look like dinner.

Wendy’s… there you can get crackers and ketchup.  It’s not a bad meal, its kinda like cold pizza.  You can go a week or better. And its not as much work as dumpster diving.

Oh, don’t do that.  Nothing makes me feel more pitiful than pity.  This is life.  Some people got it all, fast cars, big houses, all that.  The ones who got it, get pretty good at keepin’ it. 

It’s just a role of the dice. Mom always said life’s a role of the dice.  “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.”

Or at least that’s how I seen life till a couple weeks ago.

I was standin’ at my usual spot and my “see if you can hit me with a quarter” sign wasn’t pullin’ too well.  I was exhausted, but my belly wouldn’t shut up, so I sat on the guard rail.  Your stomach don’t rumble so bad when you hunch over.   The sun was runnin’ over sunset hills, and I was getting cold.  I had a little bag of crackers in one hand and a packet of ketchup in the other, and I’m about to start in to dinner when…
This guy pulls up.  Nice car…  but it was his eyes that got me.  Most folks look through ya, but He was looking right at me and his window was already down.  Like the guy knew I’d be there.  

He says, “Hungry?”

What?

He says, “Are you hungry?”

I think I must of nodded or something cause then the guy says, “Get in.”

I mumbled something and the guy repeated himself, “If you’re hungry, get in.”

Everything in my life...  Every car I’d ever gotten into before was yellin’ at me “Don’t get in.”  You don’t know this guy…  He wants something…  But that night my stomach was screaming louder.  I figured maybe he’d take me to a restaurant, so, I got in the car.

I’m looking around for the door handle, but this guy’s got his arm hanging out the window tapping his thumb on the wheel to the music.  We drove for a while and the guy was asking questions.  

“So, tell me your story,” he says.
I talked and the guy listened. I told him how I get by.  I dined –n-dashed once I said but it was horrible.  I never felt so alone… takin’ from good hard workin’ people.  So alone it made me sick.  

We turned a corner and pulled up to a big house.
I was shrinking in my seat, but he said, “Hey, it’s ok, you’re welcome here.”
We went inside, and I remember thinking the place was crazy, but somehow it felt like a real home too, you know.  No… that’s not it, I mean, it smelled like a real home… like someone had been cooking all day.

He invited me to sit down at a chair at the end of a massive oak table.  And he pulls up a chair to my left and asked, “So, How do you fill your days?”  I figured he wanted to know what I do, so I told him about how I used to lay carpet, did it for a good 2 years, but the markets gone south with hardwoods around Portland and all.  I’m telling him about the day my boss let me go, well, nearly killed me… I had to leave you know… 

and then I look down realize I’m about smashing those crackers and ketchup still in my hand. 

“What ya holding onto?” he says…

“Ahhhh…” I wanted to lie about it, tell him it was just some garbage, but I didn’t want to lie to this guy.  My face is turning flashing hot and I feel embarrassed, but I tell him anyway…

“It’s my dinner.”

“You mean our dinner,” he says with a half-smile.   

And then he reaches out his hand, “may I?”

I’m sitting there in that chair, but on the inside I’m already at the door and out onto the street. I don’t wanna give this guy my stuff, you know?  But again that night for reasons I don’t get… I give him “our dinner” and he starts to open those mangled crackers.  

He’s taking out these broken crackers, and a tidal wave of delicious smells washes over me.  This guy’s family has started to fill up the table with food.  Good food.  Somebody brings out this heaping dish of roasted vegetables and my stomach is singing to get a taste of the garlic mashed potatoes.  And then a pork roast and the apples and nutmeg from the roast are dancing in my head.

The guy takes one piece of cracker and squirts some of that warm ketchup on it, and then another which he gives to me.  He pops it in his mouth and says, “Hmmm, Not bad, kinda like pizza.”

The table is overflowing now with food and the room with people.  There’s people talking and one gal in the corner about to crumple onto the floor she’s laughin’ so hard.  

It’s like a party, but I don’t get why these people don’t see I don’t fit.

I was sinking in my chair again when the guy leans over and says, “I know a guy who might have some work for you, a couple days a week at first, no big deal… and no worries if it doesn’t work out.  I’ll give him a call in the morning.”

At that moment, the question hits me like a ton of bricks that I haven’t been able to shake for the last few weeks since.

“Who does this?” “Who opens their home to a broken, bottom of the barrel, bum like me?”

The guy let me stay at a rental house he owns until I can get a place.   

I started work last week at his friend’s shop, and man… it’s the best gig I ever had.

I guess “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit,” right?

Driven by Generosity

People who know me know I love to drive. A few years back, a friend of mine invited a few of us to join him at a sports car dealership outside of business hours for a tour of some of the fastest production cars in the world. We sat in a Ferrari, marveled at the enormous engine of the Lamborghini and smelled the new Italian leather of a pristine Maserati. 0 to 100 mph in three seconds, these cars were built to be driven.

In a similar way, our lives were designed for high-performance generosity. We have far more horsepower for generosity than most of us tap.

Three principles to put your generosity into high gear:

1. The gears of faith and fear move us

Much like a car, our lives have gears which drive us forward or pull us backward. When we give our fears undue voice, its like putting our lives in reverse. When we give faith and trust their proper place, its like putting our lives in drive. Much like a car, we were meant to spend most of our time going forward. These basic motivations move us to all sorts of behavior.  Do you know the fears that drive you? Is there a way to exchange those fears for faith? Who might be able to help you with that?

2. Challenges convert into fuel for optimism

I have a confession: I didn’t use to be an optimistic person. The pain and struggles of life kept me guessing about when the next bad thing would happen. Some days worry kept me focused on the “what if’s” and it was at times debilitating. What if I fail? What if I let people down? What if I never get a fair break?

Then something happened. I started to take a real look at the major influences on my life. I began asking questions like “Why am I a driven person, and what can I do to live a more sustainable life?” and “What can I do to understand and address my basic fears?” In seeking answers to these questions over the last few years, I’ve come to notice how much possibility lies dormant in each day, how much potential rests in each person, and how much my perspective influences my present. By God’s grace, facing my challenges squarely has resulted in a more optimistic outlook on life. What challenges from your past are defining you today? How might you face those directly?

3. Generosity is where the rubber meets the road

I’ve met hundreds of truly generous people in my life, but I’ve never met one generous pessimist. It’s when we can’t see past our own needs that generosity becomes onerous. Ah, but when we notice the possibility inherent in each day and recognize that every person we meet matters, life is simply more full. You can’t contain it. It’s easy to give out from a life that’s overflowing. Like the right tires for a high performance car, is your generosity right-sized to match the powerful blessings of your life?  If you feel like you're spinning your wheels, maybe its time for a few modifications.


Life is at least as much about the trip as it is the destination.  I wonder what we'll discover along the way?

See you out on the road!

Hero Sum Game

Mel and Ray on a Sea Safari in the Howe Sound

Life is not a zero sum game. This assumes that if I am to gain, then someone else must lose and it persistently asks "What’s in it for me"? For many people, this is their view of the world.

A few people view the world differently. They look for opportunities to invest in the lives of other people. They give away wisdom, time, and money.

This morning I just boarded a flight to Vancouver B.C. and will soon take a ferry to Keats Island for my final week of the Executive Stream of the Arrow Leadership program. When I began my Arrow journey over a year ago, Mel Finlay, my leadership partner took the time to listen to my story. Over the last year, Mel has invested many more hours of listening, wise counsel, and prayer on my behalf. Mel met with me  monthly via Skype, flew thousands of miles to be with me and others at three residential seminars each six days in length, and Mel and his wife Susan have prayed for my family each week over the last year. As volunteer Leadership Partners, they each do this for three Arrow Leaders in my class.

In case you’re wondering, Mel does have a day job. He and Susan lead a ministry in Canada called Nation at Prayer. They spend time with Canada’s top politicians for the purpose of supporting the nation’s leadership in prayer without regard for political party.

Mel has served as a pastor, an Executive coach, and a CEO of a large non-profit. He has experienced his share of bumps and bruises in life but has come out the other side with a generous heart. In a season of challenge and change for me, Mel's wise counsel has been a gift. He pushed me when I needed it, poked at areas of my life that needed to change, and invited me to greater trust in God.  My journey has been transformational.

I’m different than I was a year ago. I’m stretching for higher goals, reaching deeper into my family, and engaging more opportunities to speak into the lives of those around me.  Mel has been a key part of that process.  I've received something of great value and I intend to share it with others.

Thanks Mel

P.S. While I was checking in today, the airline agent noticed that I had three "bags" my laptop, a small suitcase and a coat bag. She politely asked me to step out of line and consolidate my bags or I would need to pay a $25 fee. As I moved toward the back of the line to try and consolidate, a woman in line said “I only have one bag, I’ll take one of your bags.” When we see life as an opportunity to give rather than get, we live healthier, happier lives.

Generosity Embodied

Generosity is a person.  Have you considered that each night as you sleep and every day when you're away from your family there are men and women who are trained and stand ready to lay down their lives for you and those you love?  When Police, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Federal agents go to work, they recognize that today could be the day they are called to make the ultimate act of service for someone they do not likely know.

What if getting ready for your day included mentally preparing yourself that you may die today in fulfillment of your job?   The stress that First Responders encounter in the normal course of their work takes its toll.  Not only do First Responders regularly sacrifice their health and well-being on behalf of public safety, but they are subjected to professional stressors that can be overpowering to them and their families, ultimately setting them up for dysfunction and failure. The end results are staggering…

Did you know?

	Divorce rates at some Departments are as high as 84%
	1 out of 4 Responders struggle with Alcoholism
	10%-30%of Responders suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
	Responders are twice as likely to die from Suicide, than in the Line of Duty
	The life expectancy of Responders is 15 years less than the general population

I just had the pleasure of meeting Trey Doty Executive Vice President at Responder Life.  Trey shared with me about the challenges that First Responders face and how Responder Life helps these men and women engage life's ultimate questions.  As a faith-based organization Responder Life exists that every First Responder and their Family be given the opportunity to respond to the most important call of their life.

This month a memorial was conducted in Portland, Oregon that recognizes the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement. The annual commemoration was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962.

Below is a list of the fallen Portland officers honored during the memorial.

• Thomas G. O’Connor - August 29, 1867 - Gunshot
• Charles F. Schoppe - June 13, 1874 - Gunshot
• Samuel S. Young - September 23, 1908 - Gunshot
• Albert W. Moe - January 9, 1914 - Gunshot
• James R. White - November 17, 1914 - Directing traffic
• Ralph H. Stahl - January 27, 1915 - Gunshot
• James C. Gill - November 30, 1915 - Gunshot
• John J. McCarthy - July 21, 1916 - Vehicle accident
• Glenn Litzenberg - April 19, 1918 - Motorcycle accident
• Jerome Palmer - November 17, 1920 - Gunshot
• James Wright - 1921 - Pneumonia
• Robert E. Drake - October 11, 1930 - Fall from building
• Charles M. White - June 30, 1934 - Struggle during arrest
• Phillip R. Johnson - May 9, 1941 - Gunshot
• Charles E. Vincent - March 22, 1942 - Directing traffic
• James A. Hines - November 4, 1945 - Directing traffic
• Gilbert Horton - December 23, 1946 - Heart attack
• Roy E. Mizner - February 18, 1956 - Vehicle accident
• Vernon J. Stroeder - February 18, 1956 - Vehicle accident
• Roger L. Davies - April 18, 1961 - Motorcycle accident
• Robert P. Murray - May 2, 1962 - Motorcycle accident
• Robert R. Ferron, Jr. - May 23, 1964 - Vehicle accident
• Stephen M. Owens - September 23, 1973 - Vehicle accident
• Dennis A. Darden - August 9, 1974 - Gunshot
• David W. Crowther - December 27, 1979 - Gunshot
• Stanley D. Pounds - July 18, 1984 - Vehicle accident
• Thomas L. Jefferies - July 21, 1997 - Gunshot
• Colleen A. Waibel - January 27, 1998 - Gunshot
• Kirk R. Huffstetler - May 26, 2002 - Vehicle accident

The next time I get pulled over for a ticket (which I'll likely have earned), rather than thinking about the cost of the ticket, I'll be considering the cost which that officer pays to keep those I love safe.

Question:  What would it look like if you approached your work with the level of commitment that first responders do theirs?

Generosity's Baby Steps 2.0

Last month I wrote about Generosity's Baby Steps.  Specifically I shared that if we begin with thankfulness, and look around us to see needs we could help meet, we will grow in generosity.

I'd like to recommend two additional steps toward generosity balance:


1.  Give from your abundance. Maybe you have an abundance of time, or perhaps you have been entrusted with more wealth than you need.  What will you do with it?  Will you spend the excess on yourself?  Will you watch for others in need and give to them?  Will you grow through the process of giving?

 

We are prone to live careful and calculated lives, never risking too much, rarely asking for help.  The problem is there is no life in that kind of living.  The journey of life is most full when we are most free.  Free from fear of loss, free from fear of failure, and free from slavery to our possessions.  Generosity is the only antidote for greed.  Consider the freedom that might be possible for you through a generous life.
 

2.  Receive in your need.  One of the best ways to understand generosity is to receive from others in your time of need.  Needs are a sign of life and growth.  We all have them.  When we are willing to share our needs with others, we actually engage in a greater depth of relationship.  When someone wants to give you a gift the right response is to say thank you and to receive the gift with gratitude.  When we do, we grow to understand the power of a gift to transform a life, and we can be inspired to give to others.

Let me encourage you to be transparent about areas where you have a need.  Perhaps you need help with putting a new roof on your house.  Ask for help.  Perhaps you need help to put food on the table this month.  Share the need with others who may be able to help.

These steps are super simple to understand, but can be difficult to practice. 

Question: How will you practice giving and receiving today?

Dignity Thief

Recently I was approached by an old man with a gray beard who asked me if I could spare some change.  We were in the middle of a food court in a large shopping mall.  I said "No, I'm sorry I can't help you".

Then the man walked slowly and over to another person nearby.  She was reading a book and had earphones on.  The slender old man asked her if she could spare some change.   

When he did, she immediately barked (and that is a kind description) "NO, GET OUT OF HERE"!

Reinhardt Søbye "The Old Beggar"

The old man, who was downcast when he walked up to here shrunk a few more inches. His shoulders seemed to slump below his chest, his head bowed low like a dog caught begging at the table and his eyes fell to his feet as he shuffled away.

It took me a minute to process what had just happened.  Perhaps she was concerned for her safety.  But it was a very public place, with lots of people and security around.  If there was going to be a fight, she looked like she could easily take the old man. No, she was not afraid.

She was mad.  I don't know why she was so angry that he had asked.  Maybe it was because he had asked her for help repeatedly.  Maybe she had a father who had run to the streets to live off of others.  Maybe she was a self-appointed mall officer to drive away needy people.  I don't know.

What I do know is that she robbed the old man of his dignity that day.  Instead of choosing to not give, she chose to take something from him.

Generosity brings joy when it permeates our life.  I'd like more generosity to be present throughout my day as I drive in my car, as I talk with my spouse, and as I meet strangers.

Question: Where could you be 5% more generous?

Weighing our Motives

For the last eleven years I've worked with thousands of people encouraging them to live a life of generosity.  Weighing our own inner motivations about giving calls for discernment. Here are some of my observations from meeting with people regarding their giving.

Three Valid Reasons to Avoid Making a Gift:

When the gift would be harmful to those we have a responsibility to provide for
If you often give to others of your time or money, but neglect to spend time with or provide for your own family, something is wrong. Check your motivation, perhaps "over-giving" may be more about you than those you are trying to help.


When the gift is likely to be squandered
Some people simply don't have a track record of stewarding well what they've already been given.  Look for signs of faithfulness such as demonstrated impact of past gifts, growth in the life of the person or organization, and an attitude of gratitude. Sometimes a gift (particularly of cash) could actually be more harmful to a person than helpful.  To give $5 to the man begging at an intersection who smokes like a chimney between lights and is dying of lung cancer is not a gift.

When the gift is about you
We can be prone to give in order to feel better about ourselves.  It's as natural to give to feel better as it is to go shopping to feel better.  When our own happiness is our motivation for giving we fail to see the blessing for the recipient and can miss out on the greatest joy of making a gift.


Three Excuses We Make To Avoid Making a Gift:

"I'm not a wealthy person."
Generosity is a posture, an attitude, an openness to life.  Everyone can give in some way and if you give, you will find more opportunities and resources to give.  It's never about how little you have, its always about what you do with what you have.  If you're concerned that if you give you'll have less, consider what you may stand to gain by being a generous person.

"People could misuse my gift."
This is always a possibility and at times it's highly likely.  Weigh the risks and see if they are real or imagined. If you tend to find yourself worrying about people misusing your gifts to the point that you rarely give, remember that your responsibility is to be a good steward, and when you give, the stewardship responsibility transfers to the recipient.




"I'm just not a generous person"
This gets at our identity.  The fact is that all people carry the image of God who is creatively, abundantly, exceedingly generous.  If you're not a generous person, you will likely be dissatisfied with many aspects of life because you are not living out of your true identity.

Did you notice how close the excuses are to valid reasons for not giving?  These matters call for real discernment and we are not very good at judging our own motives.  I find real help through prayer, reading the scriptures, and talking with other people about my stewardship decisions (particularly my wife).

Question: How do you decide when to give?  Is there a good question you ask yourself or others?

Accounting for Evil

In 2003 I was taking accounting classes at a college in Portland, Oregon.  The professor who had been an accountant for most of his life was disturbed by the ethical cesspool left by people responsible for the finances at companies like Enron and Global Crossing.  So, one day, the teacher devoted a few minutes of class time to the subject of ethics in accounting.

The professor asked the accounting class for a show of hands, 

"How many of you would steal from your future employer

if you knew you would never get caught"?

Well over half of the class of fifty students raised their hands.  I was stunned.  The professor, who looked stunned also, asked the students to look around the room.  Then he began to explain why people who embezzle usually think they won't be caught, but often are.

The professor looked more haggard at the end of that evening than he usually did.  A man who had given much of his life to studying the best practices of accounting was now trying to teach a generation who had been indoctrinated for nearly twenty years that greed is the shortcut to self-gratification.  He may have been teaching future accountants the rules that they would someday bend and break.

I've thought about that moment quite a bit over the last decade.  I wonder how many of those students went on to become accountants and how many are watching for the moment when no one is looking.  Of course many accounts do their job with excellence day in and day out. Accountants are simply people like you and I who have to process ethical choices regularly.

Generous people look for opportunities to give. Greedy people look for opportunities to take.  Who do you suppose lives the richer life?

Last week, I found a debit card laying in the middle of a restaurant parking lot.  I asked the restaurant manager if someone had reported a lost card and they said no.  I called the bank phone number on the back of the card.  The clerk cancelled the card and thanked me several times saying that most people would try to use the card.  I got the sense that the norm was for people to steal using the card rather than to return it.  What would you do?

Question: Is there a moment you were tempted to take but choose generosity instead? I'd love to hear about it.

Generous Posture

In the last few weeks I've met with a number of people who have been very generous to me.  Each of them approaches life with a generous posture.  They are leaning into life's conversation, listening for their cue, the chance to be generous in sharing the gifts they've been given with another in need of those gifts. 

Generous people ask how they can serve you. Then, if they are able, they help.

Good questions generous people have asked me:

• How can I serve you?
• How can I be praying for you?
• What can I do for you?
• Are you carrying a burden I can help you shoulder?

It's difficult to express fully the weight that is lifted off my shoulders when I feel that someone is pulling for me.  It brings a smile to my face, and thanks to my heart.  Challenges ahead seem less daunting and hope clears away the fog of doubt. When generous people lean into our lives, we remember that we're not alone.

Do you have a generous posture?  Do you sink into life as if it's a couch, lost in your own world of needs and wants? Would you be a person who leans on the edge of your seat looking for the opportunity to bring the best of your life forward to bless another? Generosity takes practice.  Why not practice a generous posture today?

Question: When was the last time you approached another person with a generous posture?  I'd love to hear about it.  Simply leave me a comment below.

"Married Dress" Memories

Last night our 'almost' three-year-old daughter Selah wanted to put on her "married dress". This has become a regular occurrence since last summer when she was the flower girl in my sister-in-law's wedding.

Selah finds someone in the house to help her put on her white satin dress, tie the bow in the back, and then she parades around the house like a princess to find her husband to be. She usually ropes her older brother Josiah into getting "married". 

Last night at the very moment she was looking for a groom, she saw me from down the hall, and our eyes locked as she smiled. Within seconds she was there with me and we danced a little. Then, with her mother narrating the steps, I got down on one knee and looked her in the eyes. I took off my wedding ring and placed it on her pointer finger. At this point, the narrator (my own beautiful bride, Rachel), said that the next step was to give each other a hug. It's a moment this Father will not soon forget.

I pray that memories like this one always remind her that she is loved by God, she is precious to me, and that she is worthy of love from the man she will one day put on a "married dress" for.

I want her to trust that God not only sees her as of great worth, but that he sees all people this way. As she values people rightly, I pray that she will be generous toward them, and through such generosity I hope she will begin to understand more fully God's relentless, overflowing, love for her. May generosity mark the generations of my family long after my time.

"I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed."

Psalm 37:25-26

Question:  How are you encouraging those you love to be generous? Please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

How To Live Rich

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1st Timothy 6:17-19

Although North America has only 6% of the world adult population, it accounts for 34% of household wealth. There are approximately 6.6 billion people in the world today and close to half of them (well over 3 billion) live on less than $2 a day!  I'd guess that if you live in the United States or Canada, don't own a car, and "have to ride the bus", you are paying more than $2 a day on just transportation alone.  If you can read this, you have discretionary income and time.   We, (you and I) are some of the richest people in the world.  This is not bad, but it does carry a unique set of responsibilities.

Three Attitudes to Avoid:

1. Don't be arrogant, rather be thankful, remember God provides you with everything you have for your enjoyment
2. Don't put your hope in wealth, but in God
3. Don't see your wealth as a burden. If what you have is a burden, something is likely askew with your gratitude, your generosity, or maybe both.

Three Attributes to Embrace:

1. Do good
2. Do be generous
3. Do be willing to share

Paul says, If you do these things, you will be making deposits in heaven, and will take hold of true life.


Question: What's one attitude or behavior that has helped you to be more generous? Please leave a comment below.

Budget vs. Generosity

Sometimes I meet people who wish they could give more.

“I want to give, but there's no more room in my budget”. Perhaps you have felt this way before. So, how can we be generous while staring down our monthly budget? Well, we could go with the flow… Most middle-class Americans simply don’t give.
 

• Giving by Class: The two groups in the United States that give the highest percentages of their income are the poor (those making less than $40,000 per year) and the rich (those making more than $100,000 per year). Middle-class Americans (those making between $40,000 and $100,000 per year) are the smallest percentage givers.
• Few Support the Church: Only one-third to one-half of U.S. church members financially support their churches. In 2004, just 9% of American "born-again" adults tithed.
• Church Donations: About $40 billion annually is given to churches in the US.
• Pets: In 2011, Americans spent over $50 billion on their pets.

         http://www.generousgiving.org/stats#

When it comes to budgeting and generosity, we could go with the flow, or we might take some simple steps to strengthen our giving:

1. Get to know the God who “knows how to give good gifts”. As you do, you will become more generous and God will entrust more to your care.

2. If you are not giving, start by giving away 5% of your next paycheck (you won’t miss it, and the benefits of doing so may surprise you).

3. If you are giving, prayerfully consider giving away just 1% more this year.

4. Don’t wait to get out of debt to begin giving. The joy of giving may actually be the incentive you need to get more serious about your budget.

5. Watch for moments to be generous beyond your bank account. If you are creative, you will find many.

How have you balanced the reality of your budget against your desire to be generous? Leave me a comment below… I’d love to hear.

A Generous Wind

Kite boarding is an up and coming sport that has almost completely overtaken windsurfing, at least in Hood River, Oregon where I spent a few hours recently watching (from the safety of the beach). How’s it done? Strap a small board to your feet and then tie yourself to a large kite. The payoff? That you get to ride the wind. Some kite-boarders have soared as high as 150 feet with airtime up to 40 seconds. Sound rewarding? Sound risky? It’s probably a fair bit of both.

It occurred to me that living a generous life is like that. There will undoubtedly be times when the risk is felt… times when people who we give our time or money to squander it. But there will also be times of great reward… times when we see the multiplication of our investment in a person. Generosity brings a fair bit of both risk and reward.

Jesus taught about the difference between those who ride the winds of generosity and those who sit on the beach. Well sort of… He put it this way:

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
 
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matt 25: 14-30

Did you notice what motivated the lazy servant to hide his Master’s money? Fear of the Master. By contrast, what motivated the faithful servants? I suspect it was the possibility of “sharing in the Master’s happiness”. They wanted to ride a generous wind and they were willing to assume some risk to reach the reward.

Can you remember a time when your generosity involved risk, reward, or both? I’d love to hear about it through a comment below.

Compassion for a Monk

 What moves you?

Perhaps it's the movie you watched last weekend, or the book you're reading, or maybe its the people you pass each day on the way to work...

A few years ago I was riding my bicycle on my usual path to work, and as I waited for the light at the freeway off-ramp, I saw a familiar face… one as consistent as the stoplights. Each morning ‘Monk’ stands at the off-ramp leaning over his cane and holding a sign asking for money. He had been wearing the same clothes for about a year. They call him Monk because he prays a blessing on the cars that pass by. He runs the business there and all the others who panhandle in the region know to 'schedule' their time and spot with Monk. It is serious business.

We’ve had some interesting conversations. Monk (his street name) keeps a massive knife on his belt. One day he told me about a man who had threatened a woman nearby, and Monk and “some of the guys” were going to “take care of him” when they found him. Monk and I had lunch one day and he shared with me about his dishonorable discharge from the military for his Heroin use in Vietnam. The drug has chased him ever since. My dad served in Vietnam. He shared with me about his dream of re-connecting with his kids someday, and I could hear the brokenness in his words about the pain he had caused them.

Our conversation this day was typical intersection chat. “Somebody stole my tent yesterday!” he said angrily, “and when I find em’ I’m gonna Cut em’ up!”

For the next few hours I couldn’t stop thinking about Monk. The weatherman was promising temperatures in the teens and likely snow. With no shelter I wondered how he would stay warm. He said he had been trying to get into The Hooper Detox Center for several weeks. For this and other reasons, I’ve never given him money.

As I thought about this man weathering the coming storm under an overpass, I couldn’t escape a sense of responsibility.

When Jesus saw the crowds of people I believe he noticed individual people like Monk, and it moved him. He knew their individual stories and spiritual condition. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36

But I couldn't bring Monk home. Most of the shelters would not take Monk due to his heroin use, and those that would, he would not go to because of the rules (rules like: you can't wear a 10" knife on your belt).

Then, I remembered an old backpacking tent I had that would suit him well. I set the tent by the door to take with me in the morning and put a small bible in the top of the tent bag.

The next morning the temperatures had dropped, and I found Monk dutifully holding his cardboard sign. He must have wondered what I was doing as I got off my bike. I handed the tent to him. I told him it was a faithful old tent that had served me well. Just then, and just a little, Monk began to cry.

He wasn’t saying anything, and then he said “come here”! He gave me a great big bear hug. “You don’t know how much this means…” he said. I told him I had put a Bible in with the tent, then I said something like “The only real hope I have is Jesus. He’s the one who helps me when I need it.” Monk said “Yeah brother, me too!”

Over the next few weeks I didn’t see him. I wondered how he was fairing with the weather. The snow came, the temperatures dropped, and then the thaw. When the roads were passable again, I rode my bicycle to work and saw him there at the off-ramp. He was so happy to see me. He said, “I’ve been looking for you! Thank you so much for the tent Brother! It really helped me and a buddy make it through, and thank you for the Bible! I carry it with me everywhere I go!”

I recently bumped into Monk at a local restaurant, and he was looking much better. He stopped by my table to tell me he had been clean for several months. He really looked it. When I think about Monk, I'm moved with compassion. I see a child who is lost. A veteran un-thanked. A man who wants to know his place. A father who loves his children.

com·pas·sion

Def. "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."

What inspires you to be generous? Can you think of a time you felt joy by helping another person out?  Please share your story with me by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading!

Generosity's Baby Steps

Sometimes the mere thought of being generous can be overwhelming...  Where do I start?  How much can I really afford to give?  Why should I give away what's mine?

While there are answers we should seek to those questions, it might be beneficial to ask a few simple questions first:

What am I most thankful for?

Human generosity flows from gratitude.  When I'm thankful for the blessings of my life, then I am free to give out of joy.  Conversely, when I spend time and energy trying to hold on to the little I think I have, I cannot be generous.

Jesus put it this way:

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:21

If my treasure is money, my heart goes with it.  If my treasure is relationships, my heart goes with those people, and my money and time can easily flow to those people I treasure.

One thing I'm thankful for: My family has always had food on the table.  Always.  So much so, that my children don't really understand what hunger is.  For the provision of God in our lives I'm deeply grateful.

How could I be used to meet the needs I'm aware of around me?

To be generous, I must first have eyes to see the needs outside myself. Then, I can begin to think about creative ways to meet them.

On Easter Sunday, my family and I were headed home and stopped at the local Safeway to pick up some remaining items for an impromptu Sunday barbeque at home.  As I stepped out of our mini-van there was a grey-haired woman there who asked if we could help her out.  She had some things in a bag she had gathered as presents for her sisters kids and said she was headed to her sister's house but wanted to take some food along with her to be a blessing to them. Then she asked me for money.

Now I rarely give money to someone I don't know, particularly in parking lots and at off-ramps.  But that day, I had an epiphany.  I explained to her that my family and I were headed to the store and that she could come with us and pick out what she needed.  I also shared with her an amount that we could afford.  With our kids in tow, we did our shopping and met her at the front where we paid for the food she had picked out.

I don't know what she did with the food.  Most of it was perishable and would not be easily returned for cash.  I don't know if she was really going to see her sister,  but that day I felt great about being generous, I loved that my kids could participate in the joy of giving, and I had renewed hope that I could help a stranger.

Gratitude for God's provision and some creative generosity clicked that day.

Question: What sparks your generosity?  Please leave a comment below to tell me about it...

A Generous Man

A generous friend can change your life.

When I was nineteen I sensed that God was directing me to move to Hawaii.  A good friend named Bill who had been generous with his own home and resources had some friends he thought I might be able to stay with for a few weeks.  So I flew to Hawaii on a one-way ticket, my bicycle in a box, and less than $100 in my pocket.

Doug and Elizabeth Glenn opened their home to me.  They gave me a place to sleep, cooked delicious and healthy food for me to eat, and made me feel like a member of their family.  I got a job, pitched in around the house, and did what I could to be helpful.  Still, they kept giving.  They loaned me their car whenever I needed it, they let me use all of their possessions just as though they were mine, and they introduced me to their friends.  Those friendships have borne much joy in my life over the years.

Doug was a goldsmith and jeweler.  When I noticed what he was doing in his shop, he invited me in and began to teach me his craft.  He could take a piece of paper and a pencil and draw a matching ring, necklace, and pair of earrings and then create them.  He cut the stones, melted the gold, polished, and perfected some of the most beautiful jewelry on earth.  And he spent hours with me to show me how he did it.  He helped me buy a polishing wheel, gave me a handful of rough semiprecious stones and taught me how to cut, polish, and sell them.  Doug and Elizabeth made a place for me over about two years.  Their hospitality was a gift.


Doug passed away a few years ago.  Though I hadn't seen him in over ten years, I needed to be there for the memorial.  I found myself surrounded by hundreds of people who had story after story of Doug doing similar things for them.  There wasn't enough time to tell about the fullness of his generosity, but strangely we didn't have to, we all knew the same man.

Generous people:

• Smile
• Ask how you're doing
• Make themselves available to other people
• Are connectors...  they see the potential in people
• Intentionally schedule "free time", so that they can be free in sharing it with you
• Are not ignorant of reality, they simply choose to believe more than they see with their eyes
• Make their own needs known and are very well cared for when they are in need
• Give money out of the overflow of the blessings they have received
• Are the first to trust
• Have great hope
• Love 

Lord, let me be such a man.

P.S. You can see some of Doug's craftsmanship here

Powerball Generosity

Recently the Powerball lottery shot through the roof and many of my friends rushed to buy a ticket.

Why?  For a chance at winning millions.

Why?  Now that's a good question...  Because of a desire to be rich.  Many will say that if they won the lottery they would give away most of the winnings, but the truth is that few lottery winners are truly generous.  The fact is that most of those who win the lottery handle their money in the same way as they did before they won and thus, many lottery winners squander the money.  Simply Google "lottery winners who went broke" to read about their stories and the research done in this field.

Generosity has no correlation to how much money you have.  Let that sink in.  Being poor or rich has nothing to do with how generous a person is.

That's what Jesus taught in Mark 12:

⁴¹ "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
 ⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

She put in more than all the others.  She was all in.  And God noticed.

Am I all in?

Am I the kind of person that the generous God of the universe would entrust with true riches?

Boundless Generosity

I wouldn’t have said so out loud, but I used to think that God was rather miserly with His blessings.  I had read the great stories of how He’d blessed Abraham, Moses, and David, but that didn’t seem to be my story.  My theology told me not to question his omnipotence, and God is indeed all-powerful, but when it came to His work in my life, I used to view God’s blessing more like a lottery… as though a few people are chosen to be deeply blessed by God, but most of us simply are not. My prayer times reflected this belief and I set the bar at a manageable height for God because I didn’t want to be disappointed if my prayers went unanswered.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Over the last few years I have begun to experience the Lord’s generosity.   I've seen the Lord provide for the needs of my family and seen Him use our resources to provide for the needs of others.  Still, I did not ask for greater opportunities and blessing, in part, because I did not think God could or would be that generous.   

Somehow God caught my attention… it’s as though He was asking “Can you see the horizon of my generosity? Can you find the end of it?  How much can you trust me for Ray?”

When God introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus he described himself as "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

The LORD is generous in His compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and justice. The spectrum of God’s character is revealed to us through the prism of His generosity. God is not simply patient; He is slow to anger and gracious. God does not simply love; He is love itself burning and boundless. 

Is it possible that God might invest so much of Himself in you and I that His generosity would begin to mark all facets of our character?

Reposted in part from Arrow Leadership "Lead On Fall 2010 issue"