Live Generously

I have an amazing 16-year-old daughter. She is the most generous person I know. It comes naturally to her. She doesn’t give based on reason. Many of her acts of kindness are illogical to her peers and many adults, myself included sometimes. Here are two examples:

• On a visit to her Pap C and Situ (Syrian for grandmother), she received $50 cash to buy something for herself. It was one of those gifts that grandparents love to give their grandchildren “just because”. It was the only money she had in her name at that moment. The next morning, I noticed her wrapping a box for someone for Christmas. I asked her, “Who’s that for?” She answered, “Dallas?(her brother)”. “What is it?,” I replied. “The $50 Situ gave me.,” she said.
• Her group of friends at school decided to do a Christmas gift exchange. There was an even number so everyone had someone to buy for. Names went in a hat and each picked a name. I took Jarah shopping to take care of the friend she picked. The following week, she came home from school and told me Sally decided to drop out of the gift exchange, which meant Susie wouldn’t get a gift. She asked if she could buy for Susie too, which we did. I was so touched by her compassion for Susie and forgiveness of Sally.

Jarah’s generous heart is a reminder that we need to live generously. It’s the right way to live, and we should never tire of it.

Our giving can reveal how happy our heart is. Giving also increases our happiness. Life is not about the accumulation of things. He who dies with the most toys still dies. Life is about learning how to love. When choosing between things or people, people matter most. Use things and love people. Don’t get it backward.

One of the universal laws of nature is that we harvest whatever we plant. It’s the way God wired it. In other words, we get back what we give out. We’re always going to get back more than we give. This is true in every area of life, the good and the bad:

• If you give praise, praise will come back to you.
• If you give love, love will come back to you.
• If you give out gossip, people will gossip about you.
• If you get angry with others, people will get angry with you.
• If you are generous with others, other people will be generous with you.

Life is not a zero-sum game. You can not enrich yourself by diluting others. Give of yourself without expectation of anything in return and see it returned to you with infinite abundance. It has to because that’s God’s law.

I am so grateful Jarah intuitively understands giving what you have without regard for what you need is the proper way to live. She is a blessing to me and many others.