I consider myself fairly generous. I tend to think of myself as the person that would give you the shirt off her back. I love hospitality! Encouragement is my gifting coupled with hospitality. Having people over for dinner, a cup of tea, or dessert, is time well spent. 
Occasionally God needs to grow us in these areas, but it is painful when He does! I had a recent lesson and thought I would share it with you. It was humorous…..but I got the point! I found out I am not as generous as I thought I was!
We had some major plumbing problems and so we called the plumber out. He came and checked things out…..and sure enough it was gonna be a big mess (excuse the pun). He situated things for the night and planned to return and work on it the next day.
The next day I left early with my youngest son to go to our home school co-op and returned at about 1:00 pm. I was famished upon arrival, having not eating at all that day. I rushed in and began some fried bologna sandwiches. Zech unloaded the car and went up to his room.
Eventually I made it outside to check on the plumber. He began to tell me in the most hickified accent you ever did hear! He was covered in ……you know…but he was smiling real big! He was a nice friendly guy. sure enough I had several problems and he went on to tell me in great detail the issues….
And he told me that he had lost traction while hooking up his trailer with his backhoe and it had gone all the way down to the road in front of my house (just missing my electric pole by inches!). A tree stopped it from going into the road. He apologized about the nic in the tree. He showed me the damage to his equipment but was real happy that it was stopped by the tree. He followed me into the house yakking…..
I had told him he could help himself to get something to drink while I was gone. So he proceeded to do so. My mouth hit the floor as he wiped his hands on his pants, opened the freezer door and got ice out of the ice bucket….talking the whole time….popped open the tea lid and poured himself a drink. (Sorry but even with having only boys…that is just too nasty!!!)
Remember before I went out I had made the two sandwiches. While I sat down to write his check he asked, “You ain’t gonna eat both these sandwiches are ya?” My son was still upstairs. And I was extremely hungry by now….
I gulped down (way down!) my pride and replied….. “Ummm, well, umm, Have you and your partner had lunch?
“Nope, we been workin’ real hard for ya. Cut ya a deal on the labor i did.” He smiled real proud like. “Probably about a couple sandwiches worth and some more ice tea!” the man said.
I gulped…..”Here let me help you get those sandwiches and tea out to your truck!” And so there went my lunch!
Humble pie in the face! Never before have I been so “ungenerous hearted” but I was famished…..But God needed to show me my selfish heart!
I was a very humbled lady fixing my second fried bologna sandwich! God sometimes has very humorous ways to get our attention! If you had been there you would have been on the floor laughing at the whole ordeal!
I thought the sewer was bad until I looked at my greedy heart!
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others
will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
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