Pondering A Proverb - Week 1

Each week our family memorizes a proverb together.  We started in the fall as a suggestion from the homeschool curriculum we use (My Father's World) and it has made a huge impact on us all.

This weeks proverb:
" A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."
           Proverbs 22:9

The first time you read a bible verse you take it more literal so the first thing that came to mind was to give food and money to those in need.  After reading it over and letting it sink in I began to think of other ways that I could interpret it.  I started to google some of the words in the verse, I absolutely love finding meaning to words.  The first word I looked up was, generous and the definition that I found, that I liked was this:  open handed or free to give.  I started to think that there are other ways to be generous in life, besides the obvious of food, shelter and water.  I started to also think of how there are so many needs that people have that are not just physical but emotional as well.  There are days when I sit down and start thinking about all the things I can do to help people and ways to volunteer but then I look at my young children and think, there is no way I will be able to do all these things with them in tow.  So I started thinking about ways I could be generous and help my kids be generous in ways that were realistic to our stage in life.  We started brainstorming how we could freely give to others and this is what we came up with:  making cards for others, being available to have a playdate to fellowship with a mom in need or to give a mom a break :)  praying daily for needs of others, calling up our special friends and family to give an "I love you," bringing a meal to a family in need and our list began to grow.  So if you are like me and want to help the world in every way you can but feel like you can't, you CAN! Just sit back and think of those little things that may NOT be so little to those in need.

Okay, so now to the next part I pondered.  I googled the word poor and this was the definition I found, lacking in a specified resource or quality.  Right away when you hear the word "poor,"  you think, they have no money.  What about those who are poor in spirit?  What about those who lack Christ in their lives?  I began to think that there are so many that lack that quality.  That lack the riches of Christ in their lives.  Then the brainstorming began :)  How can we share our riches of having Christ with others?  Why is it that we always want to just give money and things to people but never sit down and give them the biggest blessing of all;  sharing the gift that God has given us.  The gift of eternal life.  We started to talk about how we shouldn't keep these riches all to ourselves but be "generous" with this gift that God has given us and share it with ANYONE around us.

Then the last part was being blessed when we are generous.  Here is the definition for blessing:  God's favor and protection.  What could be better than that?  When we freely give to others in every way then God gives freely to us.  By being generous to others God shows his generosity to us by freely giving his favor and protection.

So this week I encourage you to be generous to others.  To be FULLY blessed by God!