One of the greatest thing about my gram was that she was
generous. My dad used to tell me that
she would give someone the shirt off her back if someone asked her. And I will tell you that I have lots of
memories of my gram… not all of them are awesome but the great thing about our
memory is that we can choose to remember it how we think it happened or the
actual event… So I CHOOSE to remember
the amazing things about my gram.
I know that God gave me my generous nature because on my
own, I’m a jerk hoarder. But as I was
packing up some things for a local warming center. It started with dish soap, laundry soap, and
toilet paper, and by the time I was done… it was that plus deodorant, plates,
forks… and as I was packing it up, I thought “what is the point of having all
this unless I give it all away?”
I don’t tell you (my crazy readers) because of what I am
doing because honestly I think that God gives me my generous nature. And I love receiving gifts from God, but it
is like it says in Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you
that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words
of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more
blessed to give than to receive.’”
Its not just about stuff. It is about giving grace, forgiveness, and
love. I know that God fed about 6
gazillion people with a couple fish sandwiches, but His word tells more about
His grace and mercy and love, and forGIVEness.
I have to say that when I really live those, my heart overflows.
I think of a quote by Shane Claiborne that
says (about communal living) “we haven’t figured out how not to hurt each other”. Well, right behind that quote I try to
remember that if I make an error, let me always make it on the side of
grace. To really not look at the “wrong”
or “offense” against me but to look at the heart of someone, to CHOOSE to look
at the heart of something. I ‘ve been known to muck it all up a time or two (or
thousand) but I want grace, and I think everyone else does too! And so if I claim to be a Christian, then I
am to give it as much as Jesus.
I know that if I live in unforgiveness my
fruit rots, and it’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to
die. It gives me a stomachache, stupid emotional. HOWEVER if I live in forgiveness, to really
love, and forgive an offense, it makes my fruit sweet, and others see it too. They
want Jesus too, because if they know me, they know that none of that goodness
comes from me (I’m a wretch) but it comes from Jesus and they want it too!
Again, what’s the point of having it, if
you can’t give it away?
Thank You Jesus for lessons in free
deodorant, and the free gift of love, grace, and forgiveness that didn’t cost
me anything, but cost YOU everything!
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