Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Dear God,

What inspires someone to give? What keeps them giving?

I watched Oprah today, something I rarely do. I watched her special show giving away many of her ultimate favorite things from popcorn to pots and pans, diamond ear rings to Volkswagen Beetles. She asked companies to provide all the same gifts to every member of her audience. From the look on Oprah's face, she was having a ball watching the audience made up primarily of caregiving teachers react to the gift giving. I watched and wept.

Although I know I have asked the question before, what does inspire generosity? Several years ago when a commercial plane went down with hundreds of passengers, what inspired one of the male passengers to rescue one after another in the icy water? What kept him going until he quietly slipped under the surface and never came back up?

Why not make us all generous? Why not build sacrificial giving into our DNA? Why not make giving a prerequisite for human living? What is it about some who are just prone to give?

What makes some
of us generous
and others
of us stingy?
What makes us
who we are?
What can
you do
to refashion us
to care,
not just
for ourselves
but others
as well?
Give us
the same kind
of love
that motivated you
to give
your life
for us,
dear Christ.
Make us
like you,
I pray.

Love, Andrea