Helen has always been a blessing, in every sense of that word. She is kind and caring, filled with laughter and always brightens my day. She is a nurse so her compassion and empathy come in spades and its nice when I get an oowweee! She has three little dogs, Bonnie, Clyde and Winston. With the addition of my four, Asa and Kiah (lLg Golden's) and 2 cats Elmer and Kaijin, some terrorizing has been going on and a fight to be top dog. And you would think the big dogs would win. Not so - poor Kiah slinks into our space nervous and anxious. Asa, always affable has a little more nervousness in him I am not accustomed to seeing - and the cats - these poor guys are stuck in 2 small rooms and can't go outside, something they are not accustomed to. On top of that Asa has been rather chatty of late and seems to find the need to bark a lot. Now, remember I am temporary guest here. My rules don't apply and my needs come secondary. Helen's babies own this roost, with some help from Mom, and so there is some jockeying going on for power. I don't think anyone is really winning.
And poor Helen, this is a huge sacrifice on her part, like me accustomed to running her roost her way and me getting in the way. One of the trade offs is to help organize things for Helen, something I seem to have an aptitude for, in spades. But since my sleep is all messed up - I find myself with very little energy other than to enjoy some face booking and a nuzzling cat throughout the day.
Generosity is something that lies in wait within all of us. Sometimes it comes in the form of financial generosity, while other times it is one of service, time, love, spirit, faith, friendship, trust and probably a dozen more I can think of. But are we willing. In making this trek Eastwardly, I find myself eager to be generous with my time, faith and laughter and whatever else is thrown in my path that needs that spirit of generosity. Money has no significance with me as often I will give my last dollar to someone else. Or even when I am spent emotionally or physically, generosity of laughter ALWAYS blesses me enormously, Thank you Daddy. But when someone gives up their comforts of life or being to be generous to another, that is something not everyone has.
Sometimes it never peaks it's lovely head until late in life, like Ebenezer Scrooge. While for others it seems it spills forth from within them from a place we can not even imagine. Some do it out of obligation while others do it for recognition. Some give because it is tax deductible while others don't care. No matter how you slice it though, Generosity is a key ingredient to Faith - any Faith. Because in Faith, we are not required to do anything more than receive and believe. In Islam, your generosity IS measured. In Judaism, it is measured. In Christianity, it is not measured - you receive salvation and believe. Regardless of what you do from that day forward you do not lose salvation. I cannot do anything to earn salvation. I cannot give till it hurts, or always be "a good person" and it will be counted toward my points to get into heaven.
So what really does generosity mean - simply stated it is to give unselfishly to another. That simple. As I watch around me; as I am blessed daily by no less than 2 people more often 10 or more, I see this generosity with different eyes. I watch and receive kind words of encouragement or a helping ear when I am troubled and I know that someone else has set aside their problems to help me with mine - Generosity. As I receive the comfort of a roof over my head and shelter for me and my animals - Generosity. As friends joke and chat with me on FB - Generosity. As I am accepted back into the fold of my Home Church, prodigal daughter returning - Overwhelming Generosity of heart and faith. And for the truly generous at heart there is one other thing that is offered unconditionally to everyone - Love. Generosity is love requires selflessness in untold measure. That is GOD.
So today, as I pray prayers of gratefulness for these sleepless nights, and a roof over my family's head..I give thanks for the generosity I am receiving, in all its forms. It is this bloggers hope to bring great generosity, in ways only God knows, to those that join me along this new adventure and for those that only hear about it. Life is much shorter than we realize and generosity is not just a gift for revitalization in your life but something that we should be doing daily, if we are to have a future filled with abundant joy and peace. So - when was the last time you simply asked someone how they were just because? Or gave a smile and forgiveness, when a harsh or unkind word was spoken? Or when was the last time you just loved someone because?
So I want to thank everyone who has given so generously over the years to me, and now at a time of great change and challenge. I only pray that I can spread that same spirit of Generosity with everyone around me....because I choose to be a pebble that creates the ripple that grows the wave...that reaches the shore.
Blessings,
marebear
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