The best among the three kinds of givers

A young couple were stranded in a big storm at night. Their car broke down. They desperately looked for a place to stay. They found an old rickety and dingy, dark farm house.

An old couple emerged with a kerosene lamp. On their request for accommodation for the night, the old lady said: “We have a small bedroom to accommodate you. I hope you can adjust and use it.” 

The young couple gratefully accepted the offer. In gratitude, while leaving early in the morning, the young couple placed a few dollars on the dressing table. 

But while leaving the place, they noticed that this elderly couple sacrificed their only bedroom they had and were sleeping on the haystack with the stench around it.

The young couple went back to the bedroom and emptied their purses with a note of thanks for the great love and sacrifice the elderly couple had made for them.

We have a passage in the Bible where a poor widow gave all that she had, to the temple because her love for God was so great and her spirit of charity was immense (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus together with His disciples observed this and commended her gesture.

He said people give out of their plenty, but she gave all she had.

There are three types of ‘givers’. The first is the ‘grudge giver’ who in his heart says, ‘ I hate to give but I give’.

The second types are called ‘duty givers’ who say in their hearts, ‘it is my religious obligation, so I give.’

The third are ‘thanks givers’, who say, ‘I give because I am thankful to God for all the blessings He has given me.’

The ‘thanks givers’ receive the greatest blessings as the scriptures promise.

“Give to others and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous help poured into your hands and all that can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you”.  (Luke 6:38)

There is a beautiful meditation:

We ask God for a flower, He gives us a bouquet. We ask Him for a drop of water, He gives us an ocean.  We ask for a grain of sand, He gives us a beach.  We ask for a blade of grass, He gives us a beautiful lawn.    

If God could be so generous towards us despite our sinful nature, how much more should we be generous towards others; become a ‘thankful giver’.