Generosity

One thing I have learned while living overseas in a totally different culture from my own is that I really STINK at being generous! I am out-given, out presented and out-shared every time I see a Chinese person! I try and I try to give to people, but I just will never out do someone who has it sewn into them as a part of their culture. Usually it is bringing the biggest bag of fruit to your house, if they were invited to dinner or just sharing the crackers that are being eaten by their kid, or even taking toys from their own children to give to my kids (who have no need for the extra ones I might add). Most of the time it is obligatory, because that is just what Chinese do, but sometimes it really comes from the heart. Those times, are when it is special. Those times and things are the ones I love.
I mean even today, I took my boys out on a leaf hunt (to do fall crafts) and they were climbing trees and pulling off branches, when a woman yelled at me from her 4th floor apartment balcony. She apparently thought my boys needed to eat some sugar cane, so she motioned to me that she was going to toss it out of the window for us to come pick it up. I thought to myself," REALLY??? Is she going to do this?"  And she most certainly did! She threw a 4 ft stalk of sugar cane out of her window for my little boys to come fetch and bring home. I mean it really is the thought right??!!
This topic is something I think about often and truly want to instill into my boy's hearts. I mean I struggle with it to so very often. Do I really want to give up my time or my energy or even my things for those other people. I think about how selfish I am so often. But why?? I can recall so many times in my life where I have been given to and received so many Amazing blessings from others' generosity. I want them to give freely, b/c that is what God has done for us! I want them to not just do it, because it is what is expected of them or because it is what we do, but I want them to do it because they love people and it makes God happy!
In Proverbs 11:24 and 25, it says,

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
   another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." 

Prospering. Being refreshed. Those things sound good to me. I think about how good it is when someone gives to me or meets a need for me. Shouldn't we want to do the same for others? I think through those verses and realize how true it is! Am I surprised?? Why should I be? It is God's word. It is TRUE! God says it so I want to live it out!

I am going to be working on it. I am going to be thinking about how to teach my boys more about it. I will be learning from the Chinese, and hoping I can take just a little bit of their generosity home to America with me.

I hope that others will join me in finding ways to be more generous to our families and friends and show the love of Christ to a dying world around us!