A Cheerful Giver. . .

During the Christmas season, I have often dropped money into the Salvation Army kettles, always strategically placed at the entrance of my favorite stores.  Sometimes I have given happily and other times begrudgingly, and there are those times when I will do whatever it takes to avoid those bell ringers.  Actually, I did that a few days ago. As I exited my car to the familiar ding, ding, ding of a bell, I sidestepped my way past that red kettle and entered through a side door.  I wasn’t in a festive mood; I was still mourning the loss of someone in my family, who’d died unexpectedly just a few weeks earlier.  Life may have been continuing on for the Salvation Army, but for me, I had no desire to give anything to anyone. 

 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

I know that God understood my need to not give that day. Afterall, I wasn’t feeling too cheerful. In all honesty, I would have preferred knocking that kettle over rather than dropping money down inside.  I have days like that, I think we all do.  Those are the days when it seems like everyone is asking for something, even if you can’t understand why they are asking.  For instance, that tip jar staring you down from the order counter in a restaurant.  What actually am I supposed to be tipping for? After all, I am the one doing the ordering.  I am the one retrieving my food, and carrying it to my own table.  I’m even the one who throws away the remnants of that food once I’m done eating.  I do everything short of carrying out the trash to the dumpsters out back.  Before everyone gets bent out of shape for my honesty, please understand that I am a cheerful giver when I feel moved to give, but why can’t I simply pay for my purchase without a cashier asking me if I want to round up my total to support whatever it is the store is promoting that day? I think the type of giving that God expects us to be a part of, isn’t the kind that requires the action of “asking” in front of the giving part.  It’s that instinctual type of giving that comes easily.  You see a need and you feel the desire to fulfill that need. 

Now I know that there are probably those who are reading this and finding themselves appalled by what they may feel is a “Grinch” mentality coming from a Christian.  By the way, the Grinch has always been my favorite Christmas show as a child growing up.  Some may see the Grinch as a scary mean villain, but I see him as someone whose heart grows, enabling the good that was always within him to eventually work its way outward.  Kind of like when you accept Christ into your heart. It changes you in a way that is visible by your actions.   

That brings me back to the “bell ringers”.

Several years ago, I found myself letting out a noticeable sigh wanting to avoid those “volunteer” bell ringers who were standing directly in my path, practically blocking my entry into the store. For years I’d felt my heart ache for those selfless people standing in the cold, admiring them to do what I myself wasn’t willing to do.  Their smiles and “Merry Christmases” to me, always enticed me to give.  I’d lock eyes with those selfless volunteers as they’d joyfully tell me thank you for my donation, causing me to enter the store with an extra spring in my step. 

All that changed when I learned that not all “volunteers” are actually volunteers. It was the noticeable difference in some of those bell ringers that lured me to do some investigating.  An investigation that led me to the harsh reality that some of those volunteers were actually paid employees.  The lack of “Merry Christmases” and “non-existent thank yous” made it easy for me to spot the difference between the real thing and the paid employee.  That was the case, one bitter cold and windy day as I walked past two “volunteers” half-heartedly ringing that familiar bell. I found myself longing for a Merry Christmas, but my presence wasn’t even acknowledged, as I dropped money into the kettle. 

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”, I heard Matthew 25:40 being recited in my thoughts, as I zipped my coat against the bitter cold, before turning back to face those two young women, asking them if they would like me to get them a hot coffee or hot chocolate to warm them up.

Matthew 7:20: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”.  This is where the Grinch’s heart grew, and as a Christian, what it meant for me to have Jesus in my heart was going to be realized by those two young women.

It was with a look of surprise, they each answered me hesitantly by saying, “yeh . . . sure.” 

Still not feeling that they deserved my kindness, I walked to my car, telling those young women that I’d be right back with their hot chocolate.

Upon my return, I noticed that a third “volunteer” had arrived, and she watched, as I handed out the two hot cocoas to her predecessors. She witnessed as those two young girls accepted my gift to them without even uttering a word of thanks to me. 

Despite how slighted I felt, I looked at the new arrival, asking if she too would like a hot cocoa.  “Yes,” she smiled brightly, and so once again I was off to buy another hot chocolate.  Upon returning, I handed the last warm beverage to a very appreciative young woman, as she eagerly warmed her hands against the cup, smiling kindly before saying to me, “thank you and God bless you.” It was obvious to me, which of those three young women was the actual volunteer, and that same type of obviousness should be evident in Christians.  We all have the ability to bear good or bad fruit; it’s simply as easy as changing your heart.  Even the Grinch knows that . . .