Learning to Give

Alisha and I have been overwhelmed (in a good way) by cards, messages, gifts, and flowers since Roscoe passed. In fact, we've learned a great deal about giving from what we have received. By that, I mean that people have given to us in a way that we wouldn't have given to them, so it's been a lesson to us about how to be better givers.

Some congregations and individuals have sent us gift cards (in amounts that aren't small). Several families also sent us flower bouquets pictured below, to brighten things up around the house.

Another family arranged an apple tree for us to remember Roscoe after they saw Alisha's maternity photoshoot. As luck would have it, we are reworking our backyard so this will be a heartfelt addition. We look forward to eating the Honey Crisp apples for years to come:

The tree is over about 7ft tall, but we didn't picture the lower part

because Alisha said the ground "looked trashy"

Still another family got us a custom-embroidered baseball with Roscoe's name on it. We had already been given a yard-sale-special ceramic mitt that perfectly fit the baseball! Now it sits above our mantle:

Still others sent us more home decor to remind us of Roscoe:

I don't post all of these pictures to say "Look at all of the stuff we got!", but rather to point out that we have been amply supplied (overflowing). Our neighbors (who got us the bell) and many people from church have supplied us with meals to ease the transition back to "normal" life.

Through all of these blessings, Alisha and I have learned that we need to become better givers. Giving isn't a strong suit for us, so it's something we have to consciously work on. We don't hold back due to greed. Rather, we just don't think to take initiative and send something to someone if they haven't asked for it. Thankfully, there are many people out there who are much better givers than we are. We are learning from your example and hopefully we can supply this same level of relief and enjoyment to someone else who finds themselves walking over uneven ground.

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

- Luke 6:38