We had dinner last week with Charlie, our pastor of worship & spiritual formation, and his wife Liz. On our way out the door, our 3-year old son Russell picked up a craft he had made in preschool and said, “I give Charlie?” We said, “Sure, you can give that to Charlie.” Upon our arrival, Russell handed his craft to Charlie and Liz as a little gift. They ooohhed and ahhed and asked Russell if he had made it.
A couple hours later, when we were getting ready to leave, Russell picked up that same craft and started walking out the door with it. I said, “Russell, I thought you gave that to Charlie and Liz,” and he frowned and said, “I miss it.”
Aren’t material attachments strange? That craft is one among 50 lying around our house, and we throw some away daily to control the clutter. But for some reason, Russell had a hard time parting with the craft he had given to Charlie and Liz. I can relate to Russell’s little dilemma. I want to be generous, but I also want stuff. I want to give, but I also want to keep. I want to live open-handedly, but I find myself with a tight grip.
Yesterday, we received a few coins in an offering envelope at church with these words written inside, “I gave what I had. May not be much at all but hopefully it will help. God Bless.”
This beautiful offering reminds me that spiritual power is released in and through us when we give. Christ modeled this through his ordinary interactions and astonishing miracles. May we follow in the steps of the One who gave freely and fully.
Susie Grade 