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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. –Winston Churchill There’s a reason giving feels different. Not just better for a moment, but deeper—more connected, more meaningful. Many of us have experienced it: when we give our time, our attention, our resources, something in us comes alive. We don’t walk away with less—we often feel like we’ve gained something. Studies may confirm it, but most of us already know it from experience.
Part of that is how we’re made. The things that matter most—relationships, purpose, a sense of belonging—grow when we invest in them. Love, at its core, is something we express. As Rev. Gary Chapman describes, it shows up in tangible ways: through our words, our time, our presence, our actions, and our gifts. In this community, that takes shape through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. And all of this is part of a much bigger story. From the very beginning, through every chapter of struggle and renewal, the story of faith has been moving somewhere. Toward life. Toward restoration. Toward joy. Scripture names it as victory—not the absence of hardship, but the assurance that love has the final word. When we give, we step into that story. We participate in that movement of love and generosity that has been carried forward for generations. And in doing so, we begin to experience the same thing the story promises: not obligation, but joy. Not loss, but life. In the end, the gift is not just what we give. The gift is ..... that we get to be part of a story that leads to joy—and to live that joy even now. |
