First Baptist Church of Herndon

When Gratitude Looks like Generosity

Linda Soller | Nov 18, 2019

We all have so much to be grateful for. We stood at the mall door waiting for someone to let us in. A lovely lady unlocked the door right at ten. I said it must be nice to start your day with people excited and waiting to see you. She said, “It’s the best part of my day to be greeted by people who appreciate what I do. I am grateful to be the one with the key. If I could I would let you in earlier.” I could tell she meant what she said. She was grateful to have this task and her gratitude made her want to be generous. 

Have you heard the expression – paying it forward? I think that’s gratitude morphing into generosity. A man can afford his fast food and tells the cashier to use the extra $20.00 to pay toward the next vehicles until it runs out. An older man in the grocery store line realizes he’s short of cash for his items, all of which are needed. He starts to ask the cashier to take some items back when the lady behind him hands the cashier the money he needs. There was a bit too much and the lady tells the man to keep that change, you just never know when you might need it. She was grateful she could pay for her food and generous enough to help him buy his. These were not grand gestures; these were generous gestures by grateful people.

Jesus watched as people paid into the treasury of the synagogue. Some gave lots of money because they could. Some made sure everyone saw what they gave. Then a very poor women came and gave what amounted to a couple of pennies. Jesus pointed out how generous she was with what little she had. That woman was grateful to God for what she had, meager as it was. Her gratitude led her to be generous. Jesus pointed out that she would be rewarded in heaven.

What are you grateful for? Has it led you to be generous? Real gratitude should look like generosity. What do people see when they look at you?

Be humble, be grateful, and be love in our world this week! :o) Linda