This week’s blog comes from Martyn Casserley…
Giving. Yeah, that can be a tricky one.
Now, I’ll willingly donate money to a worthy cause, but I rarely smile, clap, or laugh hysterically while doing it – something I’m sure the people at Water Aid are glad about, as they have enough to deal with without adding my apparent nervous breakdown into the mix.
But what does it really mean to be a cheerful giver?
Well, I’ve got a story.
Several years ago I used to help out with the youth at my old church in Bermondsey. As you’d expect it was a mixture of happy go lucky kids, and some miserable stay bored ones. Life in all its fullness. One night myself, the youth leader – a fine chap by the name of Stef – and a couple of kids were just hanging out and chatting. Stef had recently been bought a Nike cap by his wife and he was wearing it that evening.
One of the girls said she liked it, then suddenly asked if she could have it? Now, the normal response would be to politely decline and then make a mental note that this particular individual had a shockingly warped view of Englishness. But Stef, well, he was always a little different. Without hesitation, or any grandeur, he took the hat off his head and passed it into her hands. It was quiet, discrete, and beautiful.
The girl held it in her hands, staring at it, while we continued chatting. Then she asked where he had gotten it and he told her that his wife had bought it. She looked at it again, then gently passed it back to him. Once again he accepted the hat without ceremony, made no point about what had happened, and never mentioned it again. But that moment has stuck with me all these years, as it represented his heart and the real nature of generosity.
I know that as a couple Stef and his wife didn’t have loads, and that when a spouse buys you an item of clothing there is a certain intimacy involved in the process – they are decorating you in a minor way after all. So to watch the effortless generosity from him, matched only by the grace to draw no attention to the act, was in many ways shocking. Jesus-style shocking.
I think the reason that this simple act has remained with me all these years, is just that. It’s so simple. There was no theology, no prayer, no treasure hunting, no waiting for the spirit’s guidance. Just a heart that was unencumbered by the idea of possession and ownership. His walk with Jesus had prepared Stef to make that gesture without a thought, and in that moment I saw what a cheerful giver really is. I’m not sure I’ve ever managed to do anything similar myself, but getting closer to Jesus can only increase my chances. Oh, and I need a hat. Can anyone help me out?