Giving Away that Which was Given to You

Everyone has heard of the saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses." The saying was given to us by Arthur R. Momand, better known as "Pop" who was an early American newspaper comic artist. His career started with The New York World in 1907 and in 1916, he created the comic strip called, "Keeping up with the Joneses." It would be written in the pages of the history annals as a catchall phrase meaning trying to keep up with the standards of your acquaintances - whether family, friends or neighbors.

If you are a Christian than those "standards" flip from "keeping up" to "giving away." Sometimes giving it all away is better than keeping it all for yourself. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "It isn't a gift until you give it away."

We have been trying to be sensitive in our giving lately. On Saturday we had the opportunity of supporting our friends at the Transformation Life Center's (TLC) Bowlathon. It was a great time of fellowship, fun and two my husband's daughters and a friend even joined in on the bowling team. At the end of the day's events, TLC held a fundraiser-raffle. Some of the big-ticket items were a flat-screen television and a brand new gas grill donated by the Depew Energy Co. My husband purchased several tickets and placed them in the bucket for the gas grill. Our friend, Steve Clark, placed his tickets in the bucket for the T.V.

When the tickets were drawn, Steve's number was called for the T.V. Without hesitation, he gave the newly acquired flat-screen television to a girl named Joann who tirelessly devotes her time and talents to the TLC organization. We were in awe of his generosity.

Next up, the grill raffle. Silence hushed the crowd until my husband's winning ticket was called. We were thrilled because he never wins anything, cooks on the grill all of the time and we couldn't believe how beautiful the prize was all loaded up with grilling extras that the Depew Company included with it: a $25 Gift card to the local supermarket, bags of chips and soda. They even included a free fill-up of LP gas for the tank.

It was a wonderful winning moment until we heard that our friends Matt and Sandy were in desperate need of a new grill and had placed a whole bunch of tickets in the bucket along with ours. Suddenly, the joy of winning turned into the overwhelming joy of being able to give away that which we had been given in the first place. We knew we had to keep up with the Depews and the Clarks and give it away to Matt and Sandy.

You may be keeping up with the Joneses in your world. Think for a moment about the joy of giving instead of the joy of keeping and share a little happiness with others.

You will be blessed. I know we were.

Source:

http://lambiek.net/artists/m/momand_ar.htm

http://www.depewoil.com/