Good Givers

Generous people are a pleasure to know, and I know (and love) two sisters who are models of generosity. Priscilla and Nathalie were members of Moody Church long before I was, and as soon as they signed on, they began working in the Sunday school.

Both loved children and served faithfully in the two-year-old department for decades. That’s where our paths crossed 40 years ago as Nathalie (left) and Priscilla cheerfully received each of our toddlers when they left the nursery to attend “real” Sunday school. Whether our little ones walked into the class wearing smiles or frowns, these ladies always received them with love.

Priscilla Nathalie

Our children learned their first Scripture verses from Nathalie and Priscilla, along with how to share, how to wait their turn, and how to sit still for flannel-graph Bible stories. When Nate and I returned to pick them up after the adult service each week, these two women always had something positive to say about the morning.

Priscilla and Nathalie have always been generous, with their time, energy, ideas, and good cheer. But that’s not all. They’ve lived lives of monetary generosity, too.

Over the years they’ve loved going out for daily brisk walks, regardless of the weather. After they moved to a suburb near ours, I’d often see them “hoofing it” around town as I buzzed about in my mini-van. It puzzled me that sometimes they’d be walking along the edge of our residential roads rather than on the sidewalks, so one day I asked.

Nathalie said, “Over the years we’ve found pennies or other coins on our walks. In recent years we figured there were even more coins near the curbs, and once we even found a fifty dollar bill!”

$50

As I complimented them on their clever idea, Priscilla said, “Every November we put whatever we’ve found during that year into the Thanksgiving offering at church.”

And that’s where the generosity comes in. They could easily have kept what they found over the years, rationalizing that it “didn’t amount to much.” But Nathalie, a whiz with numbers, has kept track of what they’ve found, and pennies have morphed into dollars….

$1738.81 of them, to be exact.

In 2013 these energetic sisters finally had to call a halt to their neighborhood hiking. But my guess is that God has received their offerings, from pennies to bills, and transformed them into giant blessings in the lives of many. That’s because it was into his hands that they placed their findings.

And one day, when they get to glory, he’ll probably give them all the details.

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. I praise God for my wonderful family!
  2. Please pray I’ll have eyes that recognize God’s blessings in each day.

* Photos by Olin Mills

An Early Thanksgiving

A week ago I blogged about our 3 pumpkins, all of which were coveted by a neighborhood squirrel but remained untouched. We couldn’t figure it out till we realized he couldn’t trust the clear glass table to hold him. Though he ran along the railings and could easily have jumped, he never did.

Still trying

Until it snowed.

The thinnest covering of snow suddenly made the table appear solid, and even as the storm continued, the squirrel made his railing-to-table leap and dug in.

The banquet of lifeTiny bits of white pumpkin seeds flew as he nibbled, filling his cheeks with the moist “meats” he’d been craving for weeks.

Once the first pumpkin had been emptied, he moved on to the second…. and yesterday, the third.

 

As I worked at cleaning house for Thanksgiving, I passed the windows many times, always glancing toward the picnic table.

Hard workerHe was there, then gone, then there, then gone, as he made multiple runs to his nest to “wallpaper” it with winter’s food stocks.

Scripture speaks to the benefits of diligence, using ants as an upstanding example of industrious behavior. God wants us to notice the unending parade of tireless workers who labor throughout the summer and well into the fall, stockpiling food. Proverbs then adds, “The ant has no commander, no overseer or ruler,” yet the entire colony works together to accomplish its common goal. (6:7-8) Impressive indeed.

Three's the charm.The writer of Proverbs also says that if we consider the ants (in other words, study them and adopt their habits), we will “be wise.” (6:6) So we’re to conclude, then, that planning ahead and conscientiously acting on those plans is godly wisdom.

Diligence is a character trait highly prized in the Bible. References are made to being diligent in our study of the Word, in our work, in helping the needy, in pursuing godliness, in our leadership roles, in being examples to others, and most importantly, in obeying whatever God tells us to do.

If this seems like an awful lot of hard work, Proverbs also says that when we follow through diligently, the Lord will see to it we’re rewarded.

Banquet participantAs for our backyard squirrel, I had planned to set the pumpkins in the yard for his Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, but by way of his diligence, he got to start his feasting ahead of time.

“The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4)

 

 

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise for a safe trip to Arkansas, despite lots of traffic and snow!
  2. Please pray that in these next 5 days I’ll be able to maximize opportunities to talk about eternity and God, especially with the younger generation.
  3. Pray I’ll have the energy and strength to participate in all the group activities, especially with our 10 grandchildren. The oldest (twins) turned 13 today!

Risky Business

MapWhen Mom was in her mid-80’s, she wanted to drive from Chicago around the south end of Lake Michigan to our summer home, staying as close to the water as possible. The rest of us doubted the efficacy of her idea, an old lady driving through dangerous neighborhoods for no important reason, but we knew Mom.

She was going to do it.

She asked if any of us wanted to accompany her, and although many of us said, “Sure!” there were always reasons why it wasn’t a good day. Then Mom got sick of waiting. She left her home in Wilmette, 25 miles north of Chicago, and threaded her way south along Sheridan Road, Lake Shore Drive and route 94, enjoying a lake view all the way.

When she got to Gary and Hammond, she had trouble staying close to the shoreline because of the steel mills but said she never lost sight of the water (questionable). She finished her drive to the Michigan cottage on routes 20 and 12, reaching her goal.

Naturally we lectured her after the fact, but half of her joy was in showing up the rest of us. When I asked if she’d been nervous anywhere along the way she said, “Be friendly to people, and they’ll be friendly to you.” Who knows what she encountered.

Dad was accurate when he said, “Your Ma is a risk-taker.” When it involved our children, however, we cringed, like the time she let our preschoolers drive her car by having them crawl under her feet and push the break and gas pedals with their hands. Or the time she sent two 2-year-olds to the beach unaccompanied. We found them playing in the lake.

Another time she took our 4 and 5 year old girls to Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. Once inside the building, she remembered their snack bags in her car.

“Grandma needs a rest, “she said, plunking down on a planetarium bench. “Here’s the car keys. Do you remember where we parked?” The two little girls headed down the wide steps and into a sea of cars parked in downtown Chicago in search of snack bags. I can’t even list the multiple risks she took in doing this, though as always, it worked out fine.

Mom leading the paradeRecently some friends and I talked about risk-taking in relation to aging. As the years pile up, most of us get cautious, eliminating risk wherever possible, but then without our realizing it, the world begins to shrink, along with many positives.

We agreed it’s a good idea to force ourselves to take at least minimal risks. We should keep driving in busy cities, going out after dark, trying new foods, meeting new people, traveling to faraway places. But how?

By factoring in God, trusting in his care. But will he come through if we’re risking too much? He wants us to walk in wisdom, which is usually somewhere between wild risk and none at all.

Amazingly, Mom’s risk-taking never got her in trouble. Maybe God assigned extra angels to “keep her in all her ways.” Although her risk management was sometimes foolish, taking no risks at all can be foolish, too.

“Moderation is better than muscle.” (Proverbs 16:32)