Surprises & The Art of Giving
Have you ever done something for someone that they didn’t
expect? I think one of the things that
make doing for others so special is the pleasure on their face when you do a
kindness for them that isn’t expected.
I love surprises. Let me
clarify. I like certain surprises. I
don’t like surprises that scare me or embarrass me. Snakes aren’t good surprises and neither is
being humiliated in front of other people.
I think the embarrassment part comes from being an introvert as a
kid. I will say that the older I get the
less I care about being embarrassed.
Maybe that comes from the knowledge that I know God loves me no matter
what I do. You may think I do stupid
stuff and I admit it I do. To see some
of my stupid stuff; just read some of my previous devotionals. My motto is if you can’t laugh at yourself
it’s better not to laugh at someone else.
Another thing I have learned over the years is that I am a sinner
just like every other person on this earth.
When you figure that fundamental point out; other people’s opinions of
you stop being so important. Knowing
“whose” you are makes all the difference.
As I was thinking about this I realized that there is an art to
giving. I’m not talking about giving
money or things. I am talking about the
art of giving of yourself on behalf of another person. If you ever want to see God at work, help
someone else without being asked. There
is a joy in it that is indescribable.
Seeing the other person’s face light up because you did something out of
kindness is to me the ultimate God rush.
It’s like joy, happiness and excitement all rolled into one
package.
The secret to the art of giving is that it will cost you
something. It may be your time, it could
be money but the bottom line is it must include love. If love is not the main ingredient then you
have not experienced the art of giving.
To love another person enough to sacrifice something important to you is
the ultimate act of giving.
Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, help me
to be a better giver. I want to reflect
You with my giving. I pray that You will
present opportunities to me that will allow me to practice the art of giving in
a special way. I am filled with joy when
I practice it Your way. Place people in
my path that need to see Your love through my giving of myself, my time or any
other resource You provide so that I can show others You.