Skip to main content

Generosity Changes The Story

               Author Allison Fallon tells a story about her brother who was riding his bike to church one Sunday morning.  As he approached an intersection, a student driver in the car ahead of him turned her left turn signal light on and then made a right turn right in front of him.  Allison’s brother crashed into the side of the car and was sent flying across the hood and onto the ground on the other side.
                A crowd quickly gathered.  Some of the people asked “Are you okay?” or “Does anything hurt?”  Others, though, were angry and started yelling at the driver for making such a stupid and dangerous mistake. 
                Allison’s brother looked up and asked, “What is the driver’s name?” The driving instructor told him that her name was “Candace”.  Bloodied and scraped up, he made his way toward the car.  He found the driver sitting in her seat sobbing uncontrollably. He leaned in the window and said, “Candace, it is okay.  Accidents happen.  Mistakes are how we learn”.
                When most people think about the word “generous”, they think about giving money to someone. However, Biblical generosity is a much bigger topic.  In fact, it is the ability to give people what they need whether they deserve it or not. 
                Jesus outlines this sort of generosity in Luke 6 when he says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? … And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? … [I say] Love your enemies, do good to them… Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High… Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (selected verses from 27-36).
                By choosing to react generously, Allison’s brother changed the ending of his bike accident story.  What could have been terrible became beautiful.  A bad experience turned into a graceful one and that made all the difference to everyone involved. 
                Now you may be thinking, “If I treat people better than they deserve to be treated, they will take advantage of me!”  That may be true.  However, you may also make things better for everyone involved, including yourself.
                Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed”.     
                A generous spirit can change the story.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Grace Changes Everything

               A young man broke into a business and did $5000 damage. As part of his Restorative Justice sentence, he was required to meet with my friend Garth.   Garth believes in making apologies and restitution.   It took several months, but Garth finally convinced the young man that these were necessary steps, so he tried to arrange a meeting with the business owner.                The business owner wanted nothing to do with this situation.   He was angry and wanted a more severe form of justice.   Eventually, however, he agreed to meet the young man to hear what he had to say.                  The young man looked the business owner in the eye an...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Navigating the New Year

                 As we begin another new year, I cannot help but think of Joshua.   Moses had been leading God’s people to the promised land.   However, just before they arrived, Moses died, and Joshua was put in charge.   Faced with the uncertainty of what was coming, God gave him the following advice.                “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be stron...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: We need a Better Scorecard

                   “Is that a Sun Ice?”                “Excuse me,” I said.                My friend pointed to my new ski jacket and asked again, “Is that a Sun Ice?”                It was 1991 and Sun Ice was the big name in ski wear at the time.   “No” I replied, “I can’t afford one of those”.                “Oh” he said as he lost interest and then just walked away.                I had not seen this friend in more than a year and, sadly, his first ...
Post a Comment
Read more