ReThink…Generosity

A number of years ago, I decided to do something to teach the importance of stepping out of our comfort zone in showing generosity toward others. Prior to one of our church services, we secretly placed a plastic bag under each chair. After my talk, I challenged everyone in the audience to take off their shoes and place them in the plastic bag – if they wanted to donate them to the Orlando Union Rescue Mission. Within seconds, the atmosphere of the service radically changed. People looked at me like I had suddenly lost my mind!  

As I watched from the front, people all across the auditorium were taking off their shoes. Some were really excited; some looked more than a little confused. They’d never experienced anything like this before – especially in church! I told them, “Some of you will have to walk barefooted out on the parking lot. Some of you had lunch plans, and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘I can’t go to the restaurant without shoes!’ ” Walking into a restaurant and letting people stare at them, I explained, might be the most powerful story they could ever share with someone else.  

It was a moving experience to see hundreds of people leaving church and walking out to the parking lot toward their cars in bare feet, hose and socks. Some of these people had come to church that morning with brand new shoes, and they were walking out without them. One lady donated a brand new pair of Prada shoes that cost several hundred dollars. To this day, our people still talk about this amazing, spontaneous act of generosity. It was a lesson of giving beyond our comfort zone, even when it doesn’t make sense.  I heard someone once say, “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” We should all live to give. This is what rethinking generosity is all about.   

Christmas is a season of generosity. In the coming weeks as we prepare for Christmas, most of us will be focusing on finding that perfect gift to give to our children, spouse, co-worker or friend. At some point during the Christmas holidays, we will give and receive all kinds of gifts. Some of those gifts will be impersonal, some will be impractical – you can’t really use them. Some of the gifts, to put it bluntly, will be flat-out cheap! They’re not worth much. And, of course, some will be temporary; they’re going to wear out and break before Christmas day is even over.  

What if we focused more this Christmas on giving gifts that never wear out. What if we did something for someone that was not only personal but priceless. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  Albert Pike once said, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

What if we gave someone the gift of time? Spending quality time with the elderly, or a homeless child, or a loved one might mean more to that person than any physical gift. Without question, time is our most precious and elusive commodity. That is why love is spelled T-I-M-E.  

What if we gave the gift of kindness? Going out of our way to meet a need, give a helping hand, show random acts of kindness such as buying the person’s groceries behind you at the grocery store or purchasing the person’s order behind you at the drive through. What if we encouraged others to pay it forward?

What if we gave the gift of forgiveness? What if we made the first move to pick up the phone, write a note or simply show up unannounced to tell someone “all is forgiven.”  

What if we gave the gift of love? Remember, love is a verb. More than words, loving actions show someone we care, that they matter. It’s unconditional and sacrificial.  

These are just a few examples of the kind of gifts that are not only personal but priceless. The only requirement to give these types of gifts is our willingness to step out of our comfort zone. Let’s make this Christmas season personal and priceless. That’s what rethinking generosity is all about.  

To learn more, check out rethinklife.com.