Giving

Another area in life where I am not perfect in is in giving.  Giving my offering at church is no problem, but it is giving to others that I have a problem with.  Especially when the person asks.

Steve is a kind person.  He is much kinder than I am.  That is one of the things I love about him. 

We have a friend who borrowed money a few years ago.  He said he would pay us back in 3 days.  He then said he would pay it back in a month.  Six months later he still promised to pay it back.  He doesn't have an education to enable him to get a good job, so he has had to work hard to make money.  Since he never paid us back, I told myself that I wouldn't loan him money again and if he ever asked, I would let him know that it was because he never paid us back that I was not going to help him.

Last week this friend came to us.  We knew he had been trying to find a job for a while.  He is now married and has a child to take care of, so he is pretty desperate.  He has been asking for any work we may have for him.  Steve, my kind husband, ended up taking him shopping for the thing he needed.  I was proud of him.  And now Steve has also put him to work. 

I am studying the book of James right now.  And in the book of James it talks about taking care of people.  I knew that God would be giving me an opportunity to give, but I thought it would be giving food to the street kids on the corner of the streets.  I wasn't thinking it would be to give to the person I said I would never give to.  But it seems God wants to go straight to the heart.  So even though I wasn't me who did the giving, I allowed Steve to give (and get the blessing).  I knew he would give and I didn't try to stop him, so I guess that is my small part in the giving.

From James 2       15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Comments

Kim said…
That is a hard one. You did good by not getting in the way of Steve giving, and being proud of him for doing it, rather than holding a grudge. Yep, that is a hard one.
December 3, 2012 at 5:14 PM
Don Camp said…
It is hard when we aren't sure we are doing the right thing for the other person. But the reality is that we seldom know for sure. That shouldn't keep us from giving, however. Just give wisely.
December 9, 2012 at 7:52 AM
Laura said…
Don't think of yourself as such a stingy person Leslie. You gave me your chai recipe while I was there. And some cold cereal.
December 9, 2012 at 9:53 AM
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