living generously

For the past school year, and many times before that, I've been asking God to stretch me as a giver and help me to live a generous lifestyle.  This past week that has been challenged to be frank.  A guest came to my house and I told her she could borrow my car if I could get my hands on my friend's scooter.  Thankfully, my friend was able to lend me his scooter and so I was able to lend my guest my car.  All part of living generously, right?

Well, then some costs came in.  The scooter wouldn't start on Saturday so I had to walk and bike places, not too big a deal since everywhere I had to go was within a few miles, but still an inconvenience.  Then the scooter broke down on me after my friend got it working again on Sunday when I was halfway home, so I had to push the darn thing home.  It ended up that I blew a piston somehow and so now my friend's scooter is pretty much shot.  He's generous too, thankfully, and so I know he won't hold it against me.  It's still hard not to feel bad about it though.

In the meantime, I've had my guest drive me to school and pick me up so she can continue to use my car.  I believe I'm blessed with the gift of giving, which is part of the reason I continually ask to be stretched in that area.  I have to admit though, that's it's been tough this past week.  It's easy to give when it's convenient, it's much harder to do so when it costs you something, isn't it?  Whether it's like my friend who is out of a scooter now, or myself who has to be dropped off and picked up at school like a student, giving can be very difficult when it costs you something.

A car represents freedom in American culture, and you really realize why when you don't have one at your beck and call at all times.  It really makes life more convenient overall, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want to.  People say it's the same, only magnified of course, when people have kids.  They say it makes you realize just how selfish you really are as a person when someone else's life is depending on you all of a sudden.

All that to say, living generously is something that is learned over time.  For most of us it doesn't come naturally, and if it does there are times when that will be tested as well.  As for me, I will continue to pray to God to make me a more generous giver in all aspects of my life.  It is only by the Spirit that one can be truly generous at all times.  Otherwise it's merely goodwill, which does nothing to change the heart of a person.  True generosity effects change within another person as something inside them tugs at their heart and makes them want what you have.