September 9
The Gift
of Giving
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you."
Luke 6:38 (NIrV)
Margaret wiped the sweat from her brow as she knelt beside the tomato plants, their ripe fruit glowing in the morning sun. Her garden was her sanctuary—a place of quiet, of prayer, of simple joy. It had taken years of trial and error, of digging and planting, to create the thriving vegetable patch that now stretched behind her small house.
She could have sold the best of her produce. The bright red tomatoes, the crisp cucumbers, the sweetest carrots—people would have paid good money for them. Or kept the best for herself. But that had never been Margaret’s way. Instead, she carefully filled baskets and gave them away.
Every Sunday, she brought her best produce to the soup kitchen downtown. The volunteers there always greeted her with gratitude, knowing that fresh vegetables were a rare blessing for those they served. She shared freely with her neighbors, leaving bags of produce on doorsteps with handwritten notes: "Enjoy this gift from God’s garden."
But some days, doubt crept in. Bills needed paying. The garden took time and effort. What if she kept more for herself? What if she sold just a little?
One evening, after a long day of weeding and harvesting, she sat on her porch, watching the sun dip below the trees. "Lord," she whispered, "am I doing the right thing?"
A few days later, Margaret found an envelope in her mailbox. No name, no return address—just a simple note inside: "Thank you for your kindness. Your generosity has blessed many. May you always have more than enough."
Inside was a grocery store gift card, more than enough to cover what she had given away. Margaret felt a lump rise in her throat. She thought of Luke 6:38—Give, and it will be given to you.
Tears filled her eyes as she bowed her head. "Thank You, Lord," she whispered. "I see now. You provide, always."
Margaret never found out who left the envelope. But from that day on, she never doubted again.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for showing me that generosity is never wasted.
Help me to trust that when I give, You will provide.
Teach me to share with an open heart, knowing that blessings flow when we give freely.
Let my life reflect Your kindness and love.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
