Giving Ourselves Away

Giving ourselves away in generosity and service can be a difficult calling to fulfill. Like most families, our family faces challenging demands on our time and financial resources. At times it can be a daunting task to meet all of our obligations, and the thought of adding more demands can be overwhelming. When Kristin and I think about generosity, we try to stay grounded with one simple word… gratitude.

Growing up we were blessed with parents who lived their lives full of gratitude. Each Sunday we would watch our parents put a check in the offering plate regardless of the financial challenges they were facing at home. Like many other families, our families experienced difficult periods of financial stress but they would continue to tithe despite the uncertainty. I remember wondering why my father would not hold off on the tithing check until he found more certain financial footing. I asked him about it once and he simply responded, “Son, everything that we have is a blessing, no matter how much or how little, and I feel blessed to have something to give back.” It was a short but powerful message that Kristin and I both learned from our parents and it is what fills our hearts with gratitude when we think about Glorifying God in generosity. Any time we think about tithing, volunteering or giving back in any way, we reflect on our blessings and feel grateful that we have something to give back. We pray as parents that we can be the example to our children that our parents were to us.

Being a part of the St. Luke’s family is one of the most special blessings in our lives. Our family has developed lifelong relationships that we cherish dearly. We feel blessed in so many ways and we are honored to give ourselves away in generosity and service.