The Christmas season is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate generosity. Not only are people buying gifts for family, friends, and co-workers, but the holidays often bring out best in us when it comes to serving the poor and under-resourced.
4 Stories Demonstrating Extravagant Generosity this Christmas Season
For example, the following are four inspiring stories demonstrating extravagant generosity people are showing this Christmas season and the lessons we can learn:
1. Generosity Is Specific And Recognizes What Matters Most To Someone
Andrew Duhe and his wife Jennifer volunteer each weekend at the Chesapeake (Va) Animal Services, an animal adoption facility. With her 40th birthday fast approaching, Andrew came up with a wonderful idea for the occasion. He decided to pay the $110 adoption fee for 40 animals, one for each year of her life. This kind act will make it easier for these animals to find a home.
Jennifer responded by saying in this article, “I was incredibly touched that he did something on that large of a scale, knowing what matters the most to me. It’s honestly the most sentimental and perfect gift I’ve ever gotten.”
2. Generosity Acknowledges Someone’s Contributions
Since 2015, bestselling novelist James Patterson has made a tradition of doing an extraordinary act of generosity per this article. He has been giving holiday financial bonuses to workers of independent bookstores. This year, 600 employees of Thank You Books in Birmingham, City Lights Books in San Francisco, and The Nook in Cedar Falls, Iowa, each received $500.
Patterson said in a statement released through his publisher, “Booksellers save lives. Period. I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season.”
3. Generosity Impacts Multiple Generations
Per this article, the Milwaukee Art Museum recently received a $3.54 million gift from an anonymous donor. The funds are set aside to provide free access to children under 12-years-old to the museum.
Chief Learning and Engagement Officer Barbara Brown Lee said, “It just is one of these gifts that I’m just beyond words, so deeply grateful, and so excited that this will impact generations of kids to come. It’s so exciting. It’s anonymous donor, but to the generosity of spirit, and having been inspired by their own childhood experiences at the museum, and wanting to share that with the community in perpetuity is again just such a tremendous gift.”
4. Generosity Is Sacrificial
The three previous stories demonstrate extravagant generosity, but they are not the most impactful story I can share with you. The story I want to share happened 2,000 years ago.
Jesus Christ sacrificed all the benefits and privileges of Heaven to come to Earth as a baby. His generosity and incomprehensible love for us is what Christmas is all about.
For more on this subject, click HERE to watch this year’s Christmas sermon series from Pastor Mike Linch of NorthStar Church.
Conclusion
Generosity should be specific, thoughtful, honoring, impactful, and sacrificial.
If you have not been as generous as you should this Christmas season, I hope these four stories inspire you to take action and bless someone in your life.
The Perfect Christmas Gift (Kindle editions available for immediate download)
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