Radical Generosity

I was talking to a friend tonight about her adventures while taking the bus. She was mentioning that she had mistimed one of her treks home this week. Because of her miscalculation, she missed a bus and ended up waiting a while for another bus to come.

She sat at the bus stop with ALL of her groceries spread out around her. Jokingly, she said, "This is so embarrassing, but I actually prayed to God that no homeless people would come by the bus stop, because I would have given them all of my groceries."

I joked back, "It's probably a good thing that you prayed that, because you probably would have."

We both chuckled, because we knew it was true. There is NO doubt that my friend would have done just that and she wouldn't have thought twice about it or hesitated.

Now, my friend is not independently wealthy. And no, she does not usually have much to spare at the end of the month either (just like most people). Furthermore, my friend wants to get a new car, because hers is dead. SoCal public transportation sucks, but even still, she hardly complains. Whereas some people might find reasons for why she can't "afford" to give, she ALWAYS finds a reason to give. That's the beauty of it.

She is one of the most generous people I know. We have been friends for long enough now that I shouldn't be stunned every single time she does something generous, but it still blows my mind EVERY. TIME. 

Now, I must admit that I try to be generous. But that's the difference between her and me. She doesn't have to try. She just is. 

I am so humbled by her. She inspires me and, at the same time, reminds me of two other inspiring women.

The first woman was someone who did not have a lot extra to give either. She was a poor widow who gave a very small offering of a couple of coins to the temple treasury. Her story is recorded in the gospels. When talking to his disciples, Jesus spoke highly of her. "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." 
(Mark 12:43-44, NIV). 

Like my friend, this woman did not give out of her abundance, but out of her poverty. Some of the most generous people I have ever known have not been wealthy people. They have been poor people who have given me their literal last bowl of rice or beans, not knowing where their next meal was going to be coming from. It is with tears in my eyes that I remember their sacrifice for me. In comparison, I was (and still am) quite wealthy, but who was much poorer in ways that money couldn't count.

The second woman was the one who anointed Jesus' feet. Her act was not considered generous based merely upon the price-tag of the perfume. It was a matter of the heart, much like the poor widow's gift. Her generosity, not her gift, is what made Jesus commend her and the reason why the memory of her gift lives on (Matthew 26:13). Those who are the most thankful are the ones who are the ones who are most gracious. Gratitude precedes graciousness.

What do all three of these women have in common? Firstly, their generosity. Secondly, their anonymity. 

Jesus also said, "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full" (Matthew 6:2). 

I know that my friend is not one to call attention to her actions, which is the reason why I did not include her name. She would be embarrassed if I tagged her or highlighted her, because to her, her actions are not extraordinary. Giving is so much apart of her nature that once she gives a gift, I don't even think that she thinks twice about it. It's a normal and natural reaction for her to give and she does it cheerfully. I would bet that those other women were much like her.

Anne Frank said, "No one has ever become poor by giving." I do believe that. I've seen that principle work in my life. I always say that when we, God's people, take care of each other, God takes care of us. But it's more than that, radical generosity is the result of giving to those who we know can't or won't reciprocate our actions.

My beautiful, beautiful friend is like a God-sent reminder for me to give even more cheerfully, automatically, and anonymously. I have been so privileged to have witnessed such great generosity in my life. May her story (and the story of these other women) serve to be as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me.

It is my prayer that this generation will be a generation of people whose kindness overwhelms this world. May God bless and multiply our acts of radical generosity. <3

My Love for Undocumented Children

I was already up late anyway (because I stupidly took a nap in the afternoon). However, I was trying to wind down for bed. My newest bedtime ritual is to read my Bible right before going to sleep. I was preparing to do that when I saw a friend post this status and link:

"Romney wants to veto the DREAM Act and Deferred Action, and I don't think that's just. Please take 6 minutes to watch this video."

Why Honor Students Across The Country Are Being Thrown In Jail

I'll be honest... I commented on my friend's post before actually watching the video. Her headline alone was enough to make me upset (and not in favor of the conservative viewpoint). It took me a few minutes to work up to watching the video, because I knew that I would cry.

Let me tell you why. Whenever I come across any Dream Act or Deferred Actions videos, I see the faces of "my" kids. As some of you know, I have been volunteering at an after-school program for EIGHT years. Now, that is not to boast of my humanitarian endeavors or my generosity. It just paints the picture of the investment that I have had in a particular community and my deep love for my kids. They. are. mine.

People have often said that it takes a village to raise a child and I believe that to be true. With that comes a sense of responsibility and fierce loyalty to the well-being of those children. I have been volunteering at the same after school program long enough to see one my kindergartners graduate from sixth grade this year. 

I attended her promotion ceremony and it was deeply emotional for me. She is a beautiful young lady and she makes me so proud, not because of how she performs in school (although she does quite well). I love her because of the type of person that she is and the type of person that she is growing into.

That being said, I have come to know and work with dozens of kids over the years whose futures are just as bright as hers. Some of which are undocumented and truth be told, it doesn't change one thing about how much I love them. Those are my kids and I get to look into their faces every week and see the hope and the potential written all over those faces. 

After reading her status, my mind flashed back to recent passages that I had read about the stranger, the alien, or the foreigner. I've read over and over again in my Bible about how God commanded the Israelites to treat such people. I intend to do a more exhaustive search at a later time. But at this point, even without the extensive research, I know that God's instructions were about treating them fairly and justly.

For one second, I would like to make the sidebar distinction between what is just and what is lawful. The two are not always one in the same. Hence, the profession of lobbyists, lawyers, and judges (as well as many others that I have not named). They work to determine what is just. They interpret the law and amend it when necessary.
 
Now, you tell me how children who had no choice to come to this country when they were little should be punished for the "sins" of their parents. Tell me that that is just. Tell me that that is what is fair or what is right. I dare you to look me in the eyes and say that and then look my kids in the eyes and do the same thing.

But that's the problem. As long as this issue is about statistics and numbers and not actual people, it's easy to generalize and to not feel guilty about the brokenness of our immigration system. It's easy to talk about high level theories and politics and to lose sight of the fact that these are children. And, what are children? People. We're talking about people!

When are we going to wake up and smell the coffee? I believe that God is calling His people to action. He's calling His people to stand beside those who are vulnerable and need our help. I think that He's calling us to move towards a more just system. Most of all, I believe that He is calling us to compassion-- and a heart that seeks to love Him and to love our neighbors. 

Please join with me in prayer and in fighting for OUR children. I urge you, on OUR behalf. Stand with us as we seek justice for our friends, our neighbors, and our families. Thank you and God bless us.

 

Understanding People

This week has been tough. Especially since growing pains are... well, painful.

I've talked about this over and over again this past month about being outside of my comfort zone in pursuit of success in my life. 

The desire to succeed (or to win) is something that has always been a strong motivator in my life. Anyways, in my line of business, I am learning that I have to reframe the means that I am using to get to the end. It means that I am learning how to work with people and understand what motivates them.

Let me tell you, that is no easy task. In fact, I'd say that it down right sucks. Haha. Seriously though, I've spent the better part of the week feeling frustrated because people confuse me so much. 

In my graduate studies, I got used to by-passing people who weren't over-achievers like me. If they didn't keep up, they got left behind. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that was just reality. And group projects, don't even get me started. I know that that is something that we were constantly made to do, but within the time constraints of a quarter, I doubt we ever successfully figured out what it meant to work as a group.

I don't think it was my school's fault. It was due to 2 things: 1. Time constraints; 2. My (and/or our) desire to not "fail." (Which I rediscovered this week is really the root of my motivation.) Sure, I never got a bad grade on a group project, but do you know why? Because I usually ending up doing the lion's share of the work. Did it frustrate me? Yes. But did it stop me from doing what it took to get a good grade? Nope.

My desire not to fail is so deeply ingrained in me is something that I didn't realize until recently that not everyone has that. Where does it come from? As cliche as it sounds, it came from a rough upbringing. Yeah, it's the age-old story of having a poor relationship with my dad. I just took the negativity of that relationship and did my best to take what he meant to hurt me as a means to motivate me. As per usual, I'm not looking for any sympathy, just to explain why I am the way that I am.

Epiphany #1 of this week: Not everyone has the same experiences that made them an over-achiever like me. Not everyone is interested in being "the best" or even "their own best."

Seriously, it's such a foreign concept to me that I talked to every friend and family member that I could think of about it, because it made NO sense to me. I know that not everyone has had experiences like me, but isn't the desire to win something that is inherent?! Apparently not.

So, I've done A LOT of thinking (because that's what I do). I took a step back to figure out why it bothered me so much. Here's what it boils down to: my perception of people who underachieve (and are AWARE that they underachieve and are CAPABLE of greater potential) are apathetic. What is one of the things that sends me over the edge the fastest? Apathy.

Why? Because if everyone gave a damn, this world would be a better place. They wouldn't even have to care THAT much. But imagine a world where EVERYONE cared A LOT. Imagine how different our world would be! People who cared about other people, the environment, animals, etc. would revolutionize the face of this earth. 

So, when people KNOWINGLY underachieve, it sends me to a dark place. Quite literally, despair is one of the first emotions that comes to mind. Equal to my desire to succeed is my desire to make a difference in this world. I know that I know that I can't do this alone. I have a love-hate relationship with interdependence for that reason.

Epiphany #2: People who underachieve aren't necessarily apathetic, but maybe they are just so overwhelmed with themselves that they can't deal with anything else. Okay, so that brings me back to my initial problem: understanding people and what motivates them-- in hopes to motivate them.

Usually, by the end of a blog post, I have mostly wrapped it up with a satisfying conclusion and some charge of optimism. Well, this post isn't quite like that. I don't necessarily feel ANY closer to understanding people or what motivates them. 

What this post has taught me is that I need a wisdom that supersedes my own. My experience has also taught me that the harder I try to do something is usually the worse it ends up. So, I'm laying down my frustration, confusion, and helplessness down at the feet of Jesus. It's the only thing that seems to make sense in the midst of all of this. I'm not optimistic that I can be successful in figuring all of this out, but I do trust the One who can. And that is what brings me peace. Please join me in praying for the patience, compassion, and empathy needed to help people. Thanks, friends.