Are you generous? And whom do you know who inspires you with their generosity?
In the church I served as pastor for thirteen years, we lived next door to the church in a parsonage. Next to us lived Helena Crouch, who had lived in that house almost her whole life. She was in her mid-80s when I came, and still the church clerk. She never married and had been an elementary schoolteacher in the community for decades. She was a terrific resource for learning about the church’s history. She was also amazingly open-minded and a great gift to me as a young pastor – never critical, but she did know how to ask good questions.
Helena came from multiple generations of tireless workers for the church. Her great-uncle built the parsonage and sold it to the church for a dollar. The generous giving of her family and of herself benefited us every day.
While she didn’t have a lot of financial resources, she still gave of herself – both to the church and to my own children. The kids always said, “You never come home from Miss Crouch’s empty-handed!” as they walked in the door with a little figurine or a mini-box of Froot Loops that she had saved for them.
I’m a hard worker, but generosity doesn’t come naturally to me. People like Helena are a gift to me. Who in your life has done this for you?