Joy In Giving

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

“I DROPPED OFF K.N.’S PRESENTS TODAY, and she was so excited opening each one! She couldn’t believe how much there was, and the foster parent couldn’t stop saying how awesome this program is! They both say a HUGE thank-you as I do! Thank you!”

I (Kendra) smiled as I read the social worker’s post, knowing by the initials that it was one of the kids we’d bought gifts for a few weeks prior. We’d been looking for local organizations to support, and since foster care is one area we love to focus on, this program seemed perfect.

The idea was that you would be given a child’s wish list for Christmas, along with their initials so they could remain anonymous. You would buy as many items as you would like from the list and then wrap and drop them off at a local church to be picked up and distributed by the child’s social worker. When talking with our kids, we decided to ask for a boy and a girl.

Knowing that younger children often were easier to find sponsors for, I added to our request form, “Give us the older kids or whoever is hardest to place.”

When we received the lists of two eighteen-year-olds, my heart broke just a little on seeing what they included. Yes, they asked for items like a particular brand of clothing, electronics, or gift cards to stores they loved. But they also asked for basic accessories like socks and underwear, things my kids wouldn’t think to add to their lists because they would already be staples in their closets. Christmas gifts were things they wanted, not necessarily needed.

As we walked in and out of stores at our local mall, I explained to my kids that we wanted to be sure to get exactly what was listed to the best of our ability.

“Let’s give them the best things,” I reminded my children.

My kids nodded, carefully picking out items they thought the young adults would like.

“What about these, Mom?” my daughter asked, picking up a pair of shoes after searching for several minutes.

“Sure,” I responded. “Do you think she’ll like them?”

“I mean, I would like them,” she said.

“Perfect,” I said. “Put them in the cart.”

We spent the next several hours ensuring we’d picked out just enough gifts for both kids.

“I think we need one more for this boy,” my son said as he counted the gifts in the cart. “What about this Xbox game he’s listed?”

I nodded as he made his way through the store to find it. He smiled as he brought it back and placed it with all the other items.

“Are we good with this?” I asked.

“Yeah,” my kids said, smiling.

“I’d be happy with all of this,” my son added.

After making all of our purchases, we went home and wrapped the presents—just as we would for anyone in our family, taking care to place the right color bow with paper, writing messages on the tags like “From a friend” and “You are loved.”

A few days later, we loaded our car and drove to the drop-off site. We carried several boxes inside, greeting the workers who took our packages and thanked us. As we returned to our car, my kids asked, “That’s it?” Their faces showed a little bit of a letdown that it was all over so quickly.

“Yep,” I replied. “That’s it. Listen, sometimes we get to see others’ reactions, and sometimes we get to imagine how happy they’ll be. Either way, we can trust that God is pleased with us for loving others.”

They nodded as we left. A few weeks later, as I scrolled social media, I saw the organization’s message and knew I needed to share it with our kids.

As we sat down to dinner that night, I read the post about the young woman who had received some of our gifts and asked, “Can you imagine what it’s like to get the things on your list? And how that may be different from years past?”

My kids sat, smiling, offering their own conjectures on how it must have felt to open all the gifts. They put themselves in her position, imagining what it was like to get not just things you need but would really want as well. And they felt joy, the joy of giving, from imagining the joy the young woman must have felt. That’s what I hope my kids continue to learn and remember.

There is joy in giving and in meeting the needs of another person. None of us lacks the ability to help because no matter where we find ourselves in life, we can give. Whether it’s our finances, our time, our care, or our concern for others, we all have something to offer.

Scripture tells us that when we plant generously, we’ll receive just as generously in return. When we sow words and actions of love, care, and compassion for others, we’ll find those gifts returning to us. And once you’ve begun to give cheerfully, you can’t help but continue because you know the blessing that comes from being a blessing to others.

If this Advent season feels stressful or lacking in joy, look around and see who may need help, whether it’s a neighbor, a friend, or an organization in your community. We’ve not experienced the true spirit of the Christmas season more than when we’ve decided as a family to focus on what we can give and not just what we can get.

Even in the busiest of seasons, when we take the time to look for needs around us, in the places we already go, and with the people we already see, we’ll notice ways to be a blessing to others. This isn’t about adding one more thing to an already-busy time of year but about finding pockets of time to love others, just as we have been loved, and to find the deeper meaning of the season in giving out of the abundance given to us.

And when we do, we’ll discover that joy is the not-so-secret by-product, as every truly generous person knows. If we allow ourselves to follow God’s leading to love others, we’ll leave a legacy of generosity, even if no one knows every deed we have done.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be your hands and feet to those around us. Help us to discover the joy in giving. This month, help us find the time and space to use our resources—our time, finances, and love—to meet someone else’s needs. May each of us find ways to give cheerfully and not begrudgingly. We love you. Thank you for loving us. Amen.