A Lesson in Giving (Free of Charge)

Have you ever been to one of those grocery stores that makes you pay for your cart? Now, they don't charge you, really -- more like a rental; you get it back when you return the cart. Meanwhile, you put your quarter into a little box attached to the handle of the cart. After you've loaded the groceries in your vehicle, you take your cart to the front of the store, link it to the rest of the carts, and your quarter pops out. Pretty ingenious. But, there's a very interesting thing that happens more often than not with that quarter. A shopper will arrive, ready to "rent" a cart, and do their shopping. Another shopper might be stashing the last of the groceries in his vehicle. 

"Do you need a cart?" the stasher will call. 

"Sure!" and the shopper will prepare to hand over her quarter. 

"Nah, it's good. Have a great day!" the stasher will say as he jumps into his vehicle, donating cart and quarter to the shopper. 

This exchange happens over and over all day long. Quarters being lost and gained with little or no thought. It's just a quarter, right? What do you think would be the outcome if it was a dollar? Five dollars? 

You see, our desire to do something nice for others generally depends on how much it's going to cost us. You might help a friend move on a Saturday. After all, it's a friend. She brought you chicken soup when you were sick last winter; you two are always doing things for one another. But what about the strange guy who sits behind you at church? Would you help him move on a Saturday? You could probably find all kinds of reasons not to give up a beautiful Saturday in May to help the strange guy move. Or maybe your sister wants you to come to the play she's been stinkin' up the stage in for the last three weeks. On a Friday night. Your only Friday night off work this month. This relationship just got a little expensive, didn't it? I know how it is! I'm talking to me, too!

Well, there are lessons in that quarter. a) A quarter doesn't get you much these days, but something that insignificant can get you a shopping cart and, maybe, brighten someone's day if you pass it on. It doesn't cost much to be kind, and the results are lasting. b) Most of us think nothing of handing over a quarter because we'll get another one. We've had enough quarters in our day, we're pretty secure in the knowledge we'll wind up with another one sooner or later. Imagine if we trusted Jesus enough to think of all our possessions that way. c) There's giving and there's taking. You can't hand someone a dime for the cart -- it won't work -- so, you're either going to give them the cart and the full measure or you're going to take the cart, chain it up, and get your quarter back. Giving anything less than what you can give is taking something for yourself. Hebrews 13:16 calls sharing a sacrifice. Sacrifice should make us uncomfortable. Jesus honored a widow because her gift was given out of poverty, and not just what she had left over at the end of the month.

Whatever lesson speaks to you, I pray you are kind and that others are kind to you. And if I see you in the parking lot of the grocery store, the rental is on me!