Giving a little

So I pretty much had an amazing experience the other day that taught me a lot about giving.

I was on my way home from Provo. I was in the express shuttle on my way to the airport. I looked out the window and on the window of the shuttle van, it had printed that the driver accepts tips. Oh, right. I had completely forgot. So, I searched through my wallet and all I had was a twenty. How could that be? I had absolutely no small bills! So, the entire ride to the airport it was a huge moral debate about whether I should give the driver a twenty dollar tip (when the ride itself only cost about thirty dollars) or if I should just stiff him. I kept deciding--even as he pulled up to the curb at the airport. Oh no. I knew that I should give him the twenty dollar tip. I mean, it would make his day and it is the Christmas season. But, I also knew that I wouldn't get any lunch if I gave him the twenty. I mean, I could use that money beyond lunch. I had Christmas presents to buy and a mission to fund! I got out of the car, got my luggage, and just as the driver was about to turn and leave I handed him the twenty and said, "Merry Christmas". He looked down at the huge tip I gave him and stared at me in disbelief. He took it gratefully and said, "Thank you" as he smiled and drove away.

I felt kind of awkward after that. I don't know why. I guess I just didn't want the driver to think I was an absolute idiot and that I can't figure out a reasonable tip. I also got very hungry waiting in the airport, which did not brighten my mood. I mean, who gives that big of a tip anyway? Who does that? But, I remembered a devotional I heard at BYU about 2 years ago and the speaker's title of her talk was "Never Supress a Generous Thought". Well, this came back to me then, and although it made me feel a little better, I still didn't feel completely generous--more stupid, than generous. But, nonetheless I thought that it didn't matter what other people thought and I just did what I thought was right.

Fast forward about a week.

I came home and was babysitting a family who live in our ward. Right before I had left for Provo, the family's grandmother had passed away. The mother of the family was in Idaho already, so I helped the dad with babysitting the kids while he went into work, packing the kids up to leave for the funeral, making sure homework got done, dishes got done, laundry, and all that good stuff. I had been asked by the Relief Society President to help out, so it was complete service. And that is how I felt about it. I really liked the family and I wanted to do all I could to help out in their time of need--especially with the mom being gone. The father of the family kept sharing with me how grateful he was, but I really didn't think it was that big of a deal--all I did was typical mom stuff (and I have previously worked in a preschool for about 2 years, so I know how to deal with stuff like that). But he kept expressing his thanks and said that someday he would repay me for my kindness.

Anyway, I came back from Provo and I was babysitting this same family. It was great and fun. When the parents came home, they just talked to me for a little bit, wrote me a check, and I was almost on my way--until I looked down at the check amount. I looked up into the parents' faces in complete shock. They had written me out a check for 150 dollars! What?!?
They said they wanted to make a small donation for my mission and it was just a small repayment of the kindness I showed them. I tried to talk them out of it (to be honest, I hadn't really thought about how I had helped them out and really didn't think it was that big of a deal). But, they insisted.

So, the moral of the story is: GIVE. Even when you think you will look stupid--even when you need the money for other things. Because, I promise, it will come back to you fivefold! Believe me. This might seem silly to you, but it is true.

The Indian religions would call it "Karma", the Greeks would call it "being in favor of the gods", others might just call it "coincidence". But, for me, I know it was nothing short of a miracle. And we'll leave it at that.

That devotional speaker was right: Never Supress a Generous Thought. You never know what might happen. :)