“You can’t out give God!” I cannot remember where I first heard this statement years ago, but it has rung true in my life COUNTLESS TIMES. Generosity is something, I pray, everyone has experienced in their lifetime, whether it be a material gift, a gift of service, a gift of a listening ear, a gift of an encouraging word, the gift of forgiveness or grace, or maybe it is just the gift of a smile. It has been said and I believe it to be true, “the poorest people in the world are the ones that do not give, their thinking is so inward they choose to hold even their smiles.”
Luke 12:48 reminds us,”…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” I believe God doesn’t want us to catch the vision of getting. He wants us to catch the vision of GIVING. He is the greatest example of giving there has ever been. I love how John Wooden stated his view of giving, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” The motivation should be giving without the thought of what we would get in return. God looks at our motives as Scripture teaches in Proverbs 16:2, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” If we are honest with ourselves, myself and anyone reading this has given with the wrong motives. But seeking to give and give with the right motives, can GIVE freshness to life and a significance that you cannot imagine.
One of the most rewarding times as a parent are the times I have captured a glimpse of our kids giving without being asked, being generous from the overflow of their hearts. It floods my heart and is one of the greatest gifts a kid can give to a parent. I relate this directly to how God must feel about me when I give, just to simply give.
There are countless gifts that I have received in my lifetime, as well as our family. Reflecting over all of them chokes me up and puts a huge lump in my throat at times. A year ago today, one of my all time best friends said good bye to her husband as he lost his battle with cancer. Sheryl’s , husband and best friend, Bob was a friend who understood what giving was without getting in return. While sitting at his funeral I marveled at the reflection of his life and listened intently at all that he had done especially for others in his short life of 52 years. Many things I didn’t know of and I considered Bob to be a very close friend, who I affectionately called,”Moose.” What spoke to me the most about the life of Bob was his generosity! Even though we did not live in the same state and he lived a full and busy life of being a husband, father, son, brother, provider, and volunteer to many things, he still made time to be my friend and call just to see how I was doing and be involved and interested in my life as well as my family. It imprinted in my heart to be a better friend and be generous with my time to others because that is something that will last even when I am gone. So today, I celebrate the life of Bob Mayberry, who left with me the valuable and simple lesson of being GENEROUS.
Thank you sweet Sherry for such kind words about my brother Bob. He loved you and spoke of you often. We miss him terribly and are blessed that he left his mark on so many.