Generosity is Contagious

My grandmother was a giver.  I never left her little country farmhouse without a sack of tomatoes or jars of jelly.  She wasn't rich in material wealth but she wanted to give. Giving expressed her love.  I wonder if we think of that when we write a check to the church or share with someone in need.  Giving can salve our conscience because it's the right thing to do.  But perhaps we should reread the story in Luke 21.  Jesus commends the widow for her tiny gift because "she gave all she had to live on."  She supposedly went unnoticed but gifts done for the right motive don't go unnoticed.  The decision to be generous will change your life and the lives of those around you.

When Relationships Go Awry

Forgiveness is Not for Sissies

"To err is human, to forgive divine."  I never realized how true that was until I was part of a relationship where forgiveness seemed as plausible as going to the moon.  If that is your situation, don't beat yourself up.  Forgiving someone is a process not a task that can be accomplished in one day.  It may take years to fully recover from a heartbreak, a betrayal, or a relationship breakdown.

How will you know when you have forgiven someone?  I tell those who ask, "when the memory of that person or incident no longer causes you pain."  Don't despair.  The Holy Spirit will cleanse and heal.  He will take your wounded spirit and replace it with joy.