“For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” — Luke 21:4
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We were at Cracker Barrel eating. Our server was great — the above and beyond kind of great where you feel like you’ve made a new friend. As we left I asked Scott if he’d given her a really good tip. He smiled and handed me the receipt. He had tipped her the full amount of our dinner.
We were headed to the beach one hot summer day when we lived in south Georgia. We saw a man hitch-hiking down the road and discussed how miserable he must be. Scott drove a little bit further down the road and then turned around. He parked the car on the side of the road and grabbed a couple of our water bottles out of the cooler. As he walked toward the man, I smiled.
These are just two of the many times I’ve seen Scott’s generosity in action. There are countless more examples I know … which means there are probably even more I don’t know.
Over the years I’ve watched my husband pour himself out for others. I’ve seen him give when he really had nothing left — not just of material resources but, even more beautifully, of himself. It’s one of the things I love and admire most about him.
Scott has really challenged me in this area. I don’t have a problem being generous with our finances but I do lean toward stingy when it comes to giving my time and myself. I like to call it “margin” but truthfully there are times when it is just selfishness. I think about how busy I am and how much I need to do and want to accomplish and I just don’t want to give up the time I have. I say that not from pride but from honesty. Recently, an opportunity to serve came up in our church and I had about a hundred reasons why I didn’t have time and it wasn’t a good fit for me. Scott looked at me and said, “You should do this.” And he was right.
Sometimes we just want to give out of our abundance … the leftovers we don’t really need anyway. But Jesus calls us to put it all in. It’s a call to sacrifice and it the example of the widow and of the Savior. How could we do any less?
~ Teri Lynne
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Today’s Prayer
You’ve given us so much, God. But sometimes we forget it all comes from You and we’re meant to use it ALL for Your kingdom. Forgive us when we only give from our abundance. Help us to be generous, not just with our material resources but with ourselves. May we give as You have given, freely with nothing held back. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
#MarriagePrayers: May we give as You have given, freely with nothing held back. Share on X**********
Thank you for joining us for #MarriagePrayers: 31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage. Scott and I will be sharing a new verse and prayer every day throughout May, leading up to our 20th anniversary on June 1. You can find every day’s post indexed here. We pray you will be encouraged and challenged as you pray God’s Word for your marriage.
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