FINDING FUN UNDER THE SUN IN GIVING

Here is what I have seen to be good which is beautiful: to eat, to drink and to see good in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. Ecclesiastes 5:18.

Emily was 9 years old. She had been saving her money all year to buy a new bicycle. She did small jobs around the neighborhood and saved her allowance for a girl’s mountain bike. By the time Thanksgiving came, she had saved $99.00. She wanted to buy it for Christmas, but she wasn’t sure if she would make it. Her dad offered her one of his bicycles (he collected antiques), but she wanted a new mountain bike. When December came, she and her dad went comparison shopping to see what bike she might be able to get. When they came out of one store, she overheard a mother and daughter talking about the fact that the mom had no money to buy her daughter a bicycle for Christmas.

She asked her dad if they could give something to them. He said, “Why don’t we pray about that together?” A few days later, she said to her mom, “You know all the money I’ve been saving? God wants me to give it to our neighbor.” Her mother knelt down and they discussed it. After all, she had been saving all year. However, her mother could not dissuade her. So, the next Sunday morning, she handed $99 to a surprised and grateful neighbor. Emily didn’t get a bike that year, but she got something much more valuable - Joy.

Emily experienced the truth of Ecclesiastes 5:1-20. Read it now. Focus on verse 16. Solomon is saying, “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’, then you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’.” When you do that, then you experience the truths of verses 18-20. Jesus said it like this: Send it ahead; you can’t keep it (Matthew 6:33ff.).

Ike Graham