Abundant Giving, Abundant Living

CORE PRACTICE #86: Discover joy by giving to others in a way that suits you both.

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” —Mark 12:42-44, NIV

Lauren

Sharing with others has always been important to Tony and me. In fact, we started the Dungy Family Foundation with our extended families as a way to strengthen communities by providing opportunities for those in need.

By now, you probably know that one of the foundation’s flagship programs is our reading program in Title I schools (those where at least 85 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches) throughout Hillsborough County.

The reading program was actually the impetus for the first books Tony and I authored together. When we began visiting schools, we had difficulty finding books that were motivational and values based. It was also hard to find books with characters who looked like the children we visited and with story lines they could relate to. Since 2011, we’ve written over half a dozen children’s books, each featuring our kids in fictional but true-to-life situations. When we occasionally bring Jade and Jordan with us on our school visits, the children are so excited to meet the real people the characters in our books are based on.

As much as the students and teachers seem to enjoy our visits, the joy we get from them is even greater. Yet it would be so easy to miss out on opportunities like this. The demands of parenting and running a household sometimes make me blind to the hurting people around me.

Giving of ourselves, it turns out, doesn’t come naturally. Jesus made that clear as He commended the poor widow who gave everything she had as an offering to God. Under the religious regulations of the day, she would have been expected to give only one of the coins—worth a fraction of a penny—but she gave both. She was left with nothing.

Perhaps the disciples were more impressed by those who gave larger gifts. But Jesus wanted them to realize why, in His eyes, the widow’s tiny gift was much more impressive. The others gave, but not to the point of extreme sacrifice. Most contributed more as an act of false piety than out of obedience to the rules of giving established by the local ruling body.

The Gospels don’t tell us what happened to the poor widow, but we can be sure that God met her needs in some way that let her know He had seen and been pleased by her sacrifice. Even today, Christ calls us to sacrifice—not only our money, but our lives as well. How can you and your spouse partner in a way that costs you something? I can guarantee God will repay you with an overflowing amount of joy and fulfillment.

Adventure Application: When it comes to helping others, where do you and your spouse’s passions intersect? Begin brainstorming a few ways you might reach out to someone in your community. If you already serve together, discuss how satisfied each of you are with that outreach.