This weekend we are having our second annual "Celebration Generosity" weekend at Community. The plan is to give away our entire weekend's offering to 4 worthy causes. Last year this amount totaled over $250K. I can't wait to see what happens this year...and how lives will change in the Philippines, Uganda, East Aurora, and churches all over the United States because of it.
Generosity is such a compelling force. Perhaps it is even more powerful during difficult economic times. It's not just about the gifts given; it's about the attitude...the action.
Sometimes generosity is seen in what is not taken.
As part of our "Celebration Generosity" weekend, we sponsored 4 dinners so that people could come and learn more about the causes we'll be supporting. Last week we discovered that we didn't have a plan for childcare at one of those dinners so a few of us scrambled at the last minute to recruit some high school students to help. We found 8 of them who were willing to watch kids for the 2 hours and offered to pay them $10 a piece. A bargain on our end, but what high school kid wouldn't want 10 extra bucks in their pocket?
At the end of the night my co-worker went around to pay the students their well-earned wage. We actually decided to bless them with a little extra and gave each student $15. They absolutely deserved the money, but it really struck me when my co-worker came back to tell me that one student donated her $15 back. What a beautiful picture of this student's heart. She gave of her time. And then gave of her money. It made me proud to be a part of a mission and a church that is instilling that kind of generosity in the hearts of the next generation.
I heard somewhere a few months back that the time in our nation's history when the percentage of charitable giving was the highest was during the Great Depression. For all the struggles we are enduring financially, there is something really beautiful blossoming in the hearts of people. We always seem to think it would be easier to be generous if we had plenty. Maybe that's true. But sometimes I wonder if the attitude and action of generosity actually flow more easily in the lean times. Sure, the dollar amount may not be as great, but the desire to help one another seems stronger.
And so I am ready to celebrate generosity this weekend and dreaming of what God has in store.
$10 for 2 hours? Even $15? Our teens must be spoiled. I can't get them to do it for $20 for 2 hours! :) They want 4+ hours or it's not worth the money gas, they say. (I understand that too!)
Posted by: Liz | March 10, 2009 at 11:28 PM