Generosity is about more than money - it’s personal

When I served as pastor of the Washington Baptist Church in Washington, Vermont, an older couple living on a limited retirement income came to me distraught about the money they were sending to a national non-profit organization to sponsor a child in an impoverished country. They had been sponsoring a girl for some years and always enjoyed the cards, pictures, and notes they received from her. They were blessed when they prayed for her when she experienced a medical problem and had to be hospitalized for several weeks. They enjoyed learning of her experiences at school. They really enjoyed seeing a picture of her first loaf of bread baked over an open fire. Even though they had never met her, they felt connected to her in a very real way.

When they heard that the organization through which they sponsored her had received a grant thousands of times larger than their small, monthly sponsorship, they wondered if they should continue to give. They asked me if the non-profit really needed their meager gift since they had received such a large donation from a wealthy donor.

“Will the person or foundation who gave the large grant ever know this girl’s name? Will they pray for her when she is sick? Will they rejoice when she learns to bake a loaf of bread? Will they cherish her pictures taped to their refrigerator? Will she be more than just a statistic to them?” I asked as I held up the girl’s pictures. When the couple expressed their doubts, I replied, “But you know her name. Your prayers and financial gifts matter to this little girl.” With tears they thanked me for reminding them of an important truth.

“Giving is not just about dollars and cents. It is also about prayer, relationships, and caring.”

Years later they emailed to say the girl had graduated from high school. Even though the official sponsorship had come to an end, they were still helping her in a small way with her university education. The relationship was one of the greatest joys of their lives.

This conversation reinforced in my mind why it is important to give faithfully to the causes we care about, regardless of how much we can give or how much others give. There are many places in New England, and around the world, where a small gift makes a big difference. It’s easy to look at the small towns, and the small churches, in those places and wonder if our giving really makes a difference. The answer is YES! Giving is not just about dollars and cents. It is also about prayer, relationships, and caring. When we give from the heart, we are blessed, no matter the size of our gift. The money we give flows out of a generous heart full of prayer, love, and compassion. The next time we wonder if our little gift matters, remember this story, and realize OUR GIFT MATTERS! Our gift matters regardless of how much others might give, because our gift is personal to us.

“When we give from the heart, we are blessed, no matter the size of our gift.”

If God has put a ministry on our heart to support, let us do it with passion, and not be dismayed about what others might do or might not do. We must do what God tells us to do and rejoice in how God uses our gift. Our gift matters.

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves as the executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England.