Uncommon Generosity

Her eyes dropped as she slung her backpack over her chair.  “What’s wrong?” I immediately asked, knowing something had happened.  “I don’t want to tell you!” she retorted and threw her arms on the counter and went face down.  “Honey… whatever it is, it’s okay,” I said as I tried to lift her face up off the granite.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, “I got another ticket!” My young driver confessed.

Going 35 in a 25, right outside of her school on her way to pick up her brother, Dawson.  She doesn’t get away with anything.  I know I have deserved several tickets that I somehow never get.  But this girl, she gets caught.

After we had worked through the issue — talked about how she was going to pay it, and how to tell Dad, I took my other son to practice.

My phone rang and I saw that it was her.  I picked it up, “Hello?”  Silence.  Then sobbing.  “Now what, honey?” I asked.  “Mom… {sob, sob, sob}…Dawson.”

“Did he say something to you?  What did he do?” I asked.

She was finally able to speak, “No Mom.  I went into my room and on my bedside table was a note.  It read ‘Drive slower next time‘ and next to the note was money for the entire amount of the ticket.”

Then, we both were crying.

Uncommon, lavish generosity.

This was unexpected.  Quiet.  Understated, and yet completely touching to the very depths.  

Her brother had noticed her distress, and took it upon himself to shoulder her burden with her.  He didn’t have to.  Yet it was within his power and resources to do so, and so he decided to walk with her and give what he had to do so.

Here she is with him after finding the note:

That is what it means to offer uncommon generosity:

1. We notice.  This is key – how often do we miss really seeing people and their needs?  Way too often.  We walk right by, even within our own homes.
2. We act.  Even if we see, it is no guarantee that we will act on what we notice.  Acting is the difference maker.  Even if it is a small action, when we move, we make that decision to put ourselves aside and value another human being right beside us.
3. We use our resources to help others.  It’s all God’s anyway, right?  We’ve been entrusted with what we have.  For some it is a lot, for others it is a little.  But no matter the amount, we are entrusted to steward it well.  I have no doubt that being generous with our amount is a part of God’s plan for us.  And guess what?  When we are generous, it births more generosity.  We sow what we reap.Dawson has shown me this week what it looks like to live a life of uncommon generosity.  My prayer is that I will take that inspiration and pay his example forward by doing it first to those closest to me, in my own family, and then for someone else. 

Let us think long and hard about how we can show this kind of sacrificial giving to the people in our family this week.Share your ideas!