Look Who’s Watching
Excerpt from 1 Timothy 4:6-16
“Put these things into practice, devote yourselves to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver
I was once asked to recruit some folks to stand outside the entrance of our local supermarket on a December Saturday to solicit contributions for the Salvation Army. All the volunteers were asked to do is stand beside a red bucket and ring a bell. I thought I should take a turn myself. It was fascinating to see how people responded.
I noticed that there were two groups that responded in extraordinary numbers: First, there were the members of my church. I like to think that they would have responded that way no matter who was ringing the bell, but all I can say for sure is that every church member who passed me put a contribution in the bucket.
The others who responded in extraordinary ways were adults with children at their side. And the reason seems clear enough: they knew that there were very important eyes on them—the eyes of their children. Knowing that they were being observed by their children helped them draw on the better angels of their nature. They became more generous than they would have been otherwise.
That experience also was an important reminder to me, and to parents and grandparents and to all who have some special tie to a child: there is nothing we can give our children—no toy, no trip, no tuition—that is more important than the gift of our generosity to others. It is the one thing that will not and cannot be taken away from them.
Prayer
God, help me to seize an opportunity to be more generous today, as if young eyes were trained on me because… well, they are.
God, help me to seize an opportunity to be more generous today, as if young eyes were trained on me because… well, they are.
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