Earlier this year, I installed a small pond in the backyard. Donna had indicated some time ago that she might like a small pond, so when I saw someone giving one away, I jumped at it. I had to plastic weld a few cracks, but I installed it easily enough. We already had a small fountain that cycled water through a spigot into a reservoir, although we hadn’t used it in a while. I realized it would make a lovely water feature for the pond. I had to cut a notch in the stone basin and fashion a spout out of a piece of copper, but I had my gurgling fountain when all was said and done.

The water pumped out of the pond, through the spigot, and into the basin, where it perfectly overflowed into the pond.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. My youngest, who had been regularly and excitedly monitoring the life cycle of frogs for the last few months, reported that the pond was suddenly half empty! She was worried about the frogs. I was worried we had sprung a leak. We had had rain with the storm, so it shouldn’t have evaporated. I checked to ensure the hose hadn’t detached from the back of the fountain (as it had once with the help of one of the dogs). Nope. I checked around the top of the water level for any cracks. Nope. Maybe it was a raccoon taking a bath? Perhaps one of the dogs had fallen in and splashed it out? So, I refilled it to see if it would drop again.

The water hadn’t dropped much when I went back to check on it, but I noticed wet ground around the fountain, although most of the ground outside had dried after the rain.

I investigated further. I found that the spout I had built was mostly clogged with leaves that had blown down during the storm. That caused the water level in the fountain to rise, and the water was slowly dropping in the pond as the water topped the upper edge of the fountain reservoir. The blockage had been bad enough that it half emptied itself in about a day. I removed the leaves, and it’s been fine ever since. The fountain sends the water right back into the pond as it should.

In this mishmash holiday season that bridges Thanksgiving and Christmas, we often find ourselves drawn to generosity. We give of ourselves because we have already received. Of course, it’s easiest to see how God provides, but we might notice how others have blessed us richly, too (perhaps sometimes acting as God’s hands!). We, in turn, want to help others and become God’s hands and feet. In fact, we are made to give. We are created to be generous. That is what the gospel of abundance is all about. If we don’t give away what we have, eventually, we will lose it. 

God’s abundance is much deeper than my little pond, to be sure, and I don’t mean that God will stop providing for us, but when we don’t act with generous hearts and give back, or pay it forward, or recycle and share the blessings we receive, we eventually empty out. We may have more in the short term but lose out in the end. We run dry, spiritually speaking. Sometimes things get clogged up, and we get in our own way. As we become self-centered, we may feel like we’re overflowing with riches in the short term. But, when we don’t let some of it pass on to others, we’ll eventually end up stagnant and burned out (which would have ultimately happened to my pump!).

Jesus knew this, which is why he remarks in Matthew’s gospel that “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?” It can be counterintuitive to understand that we become rich by giving, but that’s how it works in God’s economy. I don’t mean prosperity gospel rich, where we give so that we get even more riches in return, but in terms of that treasure, we store up in heaven instead of on earth. When we are generous towards others, our heart is with others, which is where Jesus wants it.

Thank goodness God invested God’s treasure in this world for us, ensuring God’s heart is with us, too. We recall God’s investment strategy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This is a season for celebrating God’s abundance as we prepare for the greatest gift of all. And that means it’s also a season for giving. I pray that our generosity will flow as freely as God’s.

Tom+

Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we
possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our
substance, and, remembering the account which we must one
day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Photo Credits: Pond and Helping Hands photos via Dreamstime.com subscription