Two Sides Of Giving

The final day of Vacation Bible School this year was also my birthday. I was greeted with the singing of “Happy Birthday,” and presented with enough balloons to nearly lift me off the floor. I appreciated the thoughtful reminder of another milestone passed.

But what is most special now about that event is the item on my desk. As the event concluded, a young girl brought me the craft she had made earlier in the day – a simple bracelet with five colored beads that tell the Story of the Gospel of Jesus. She presented it to me with a smile. She wanted to give me something and that is what she had at that moment.

I accepted the bracelet with a big “thank you” and gave her a hug. I admit that the thoughts going through my mind went something like this: “I do not need this bracelet; it is too small for my arm even if I thought about wearing it; she should have kept it for herself.” But I knew how wrong it would be for me to give it back to her. There are two sides of giving and I would have destroyed hers if I had not received her gift of love.

So much of the giving process focuses on the receiver of the gift. Ask a child what they got for Christmas and typically they will list the items and may occasionally mention the giver. But observe the parent or grandparent who gave the gift as they smile with joyful satisfaction in the excitement of the child. Two sides of giving are there, but most of the focus is on the receiver.

Honoring the giver is very important. Mothers are experienced at this, with a refrigerator covered in gifts of art from their young children. They never say, “What is that?” but rather, “Tell me about your picture.” The giver needs affirmation and appreciation more than the receiver needs the gift.

Professional fundraisers know the importance of emphasizing the giver when asking for contributions. They show pictures of starving children and remind us that we will enjoy our abundance of food more when we help those who have none. The receiver of our gift will be helped, but the giver will have joy in sharing. Both sides of giving are important.

In my younger years, I had a difficult time accepting gifts. Most of the issue was pride – “I do not need your help” – and it also involved taking something from someone who I thought needed it more than I did, much like the gift of a bracelet from that young girl. Over time, I realized that I was too proud to allow people to enjoy the gift of giving. I had to learn a lesson in humility.

A popular challenge these days is to “pay it forward.” The idea is to take what has been given to us and use it to help someone else in their time of need. Carol and I have had opportunities to do this and it brings a lot of enjoyment. When you have been in a place where a gift had a big impact on your ability to do life effectively, it means a lot to make that difference for someone else.

When I think of the Gift of Salvation and eternal life through trust in Jesus, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I do not give enough thought to the joy that Jesus feels when He sees me receiving His gift of love. I need to ponder this more. Even Creator God enjoys the two sides of giving. After all, He created the process.
pastor@woodvillagebaptist.org