Dear Circle of Hope,

When was the last time you showed generosity?

Generosity is the act of being generous. Being generous is about showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected. It is about going above and beyond your normal way of being. I’m sure most of us have been the recipients of acts of generosity in our lives. There are probably times we can recall when we have shown great generosity towards others. Generosity can be expressed financially and this often comes to mind initially. But it can also include giving time, care, hospitality, service, love, or even forgiveness to someone. 

I believe that generosity is all about the heart. It blossoms and blooms, often unexpectedly, from a place of overflow. A place where we recognise the blessings in our own lives and we then respond by being generous. For people of faith it may flow from a realisation of the grace and love that has been showered upon us by God. At its core, generosity flows from a place of gratitude.

In my engagements in the community I get to see amazing acts of generosity, as people recognise with gratitude the richness and abundance of their own life and respond with generous acts towards other people. I am constantly inspired, encouraged and nudged by random acts of kindness, unannounced gifts, unheralded donations of time, money and service that I witness each and every week in our community. 

With the reality of the rising costs of living and the demands this places on our time and finances, maybe it should be expected that being generous is a stretch for many of us. Constant reminders in the media and advertising can lead us to believe that we don’t have enough and this can result in people living from a scarcity mindset, impacting our ability to be generous.

What might it look like for you to be generous this week? What if you were to choose to perform a random act of generosity? Something unexpected and above and beyond your normal way of being. Imagine if we all chose to take up this challenge in our community? Surely the impact of such a chain of generosity would be noticed and bring life to a community that is looking for hope and needs to witness such love and service. 

As you reflect on your life this week, may your gratitude flow into generosity.

Thank you for being part of our Circle of Hope.

Grace and peace, 

Phil