How generous are we?

Linda was playing bridge and I was home and bored.  But I didn't have to be for long.  A very good friend of mine dropped by and we talked for a long time.  I can't tell his name because I plan to tell a true story about him.  I will just call him Edgar because I don't know anybody by that name really.

Edgar knew I had been in Kentucky for a while so he was here primarily to catch me up on all the juicy news of this area.  He did, too.  And during the conversation he was sharing a time with me about some people who needed some financial help big time.  He had compassion on them and donated what he felt was a generous amount.  But he then realized that the amount he had given was not nearly enough.  On his way home he was bothered by their need.  He was very much aware that he had given all he could reasonably afford but something  was telling him to give even more.  Enough to satisfy the need.  So he went back and gave them what they needed even though it was going to leave him in a spot himself.  After all, he had to tell his wife what he had done.  He did that and was rewarded with the warmest hug he had ever received.  Together they agreed that everything would work out all right.  Let's see now.  He had given most of his money away and they were looking for the best.  Never going to happen!

But it did!  It was early the next week when out of the blue a new customer came into the picture.  It so happened that it was the largest contract he had ever signed.  Are you crying yet?  I am.

That story made me think of a man I knew at Madisonville when I was growing up there.  His name was Frank.  Frank was always doing for others, even when he thought he couldn't afford it.  Many people turned to him for help and he always came through. I think maybe he was the happiest man in my home town back then. The preacher at our church asked him one time, "Frank how can you afford to give so much?"

Frank would simply look at him and say, "Well, preacher, you see I shovel it out and the Good Lord shovels it in and he has a bigger shovel."

I guess it is true that the Good Lord does look after good people like that.  I remember that I loaned a guy five dollars once and he still owes it to me.  I think I need to be more like Edgar or Frank.

For what its worth, He really does have a bigger shovel.   And He shovels a lot of love, too.  We can all share that!