Plastic Flowers

I entered the room and quickly took in my surroundings. A large calendar on the wall surrounded by a few family photographs and a poster of Jesus, a small table, and a large mat woven with straw. Pots and pans in a corner pile were the most prominent items, providing a visual representation of the simplicity of life of the dwellers of this one-room concrete home. The husband motioned to me to wait while he searched for something inside a small, almost secret cubbyhole located within the wall. I could tell this particular spot housed important belongings, perhaps possessions of value. He dug out the item, whirled around with a huge toothy grin on his face and presented me with the most hideous red plastic flowers I’d ever seen.

I’d never received a more valuable gift.

I entered the room and quickly took in my surroundings. A large calendar on the wall surrounded by a few family photographs and a poster of Jesus, a small table, and a large mat woven with straw. Pots and pans in a corner pile were the most prominent items, providing a visual representation of the simplicity of life of the dwellers of this one-room concrete home. The husband motioned to me to wait while he searched for something inside a small, almost secret cubbyhole located within the wall. I could tell this particular spot housed important belongings, perhaps possessions of value. He dug out the item, whirled around with a huge toothy grin on his face and presented me with the most hideous red plastic flowers I’d ever seen.

I’d never received a more valuable gift.

I had met the man only a few hours prior. We didn’t speak the same language; in fact, I still don’t know his name. But I’ll never forget the manner in which he presented those tiny red plastic flowers to me….with such exuberance and joy, a clear desire to offer his guest his absolute best. As he and his wife bestowed upon me their prized bouquet, the only thing resembling “beauty” in this one-room dwelling, I felt lavished by generosity…and confronted with my own selfishness.

In less than 24 hours, I would leave the villages of India and reenter the mecca of consumerism: Dallas, TX. Having seen the joy contained within simplicity and experienced the blessing of being lavished by generosity, I resolved to remember the “red plastic flower” lesson and forego my desire to keep up with the Jones’ (or Smith’s, in my case.) If only resolve were enough.

In a consumer-driven world that is continually assaulted with advertisements and false promises, what can we do to cultivate generous hearts? The church I attend has recently completed a four-part series entitled Gospel-shaped Giving, based on the premise that “Scripture calls the people of God to a grander view of giving that embodies all the Gospel represents — staggering grace, overwhelming blessing, undeserved abundance.” As we enter into the holiday giving season, celebrating that Christ has lavished us with undeserved abundance through emptying Himself and entering our humble abode, here are two quick points to ponder, based upon the sermon series at IBC. (Please visit http://www.irvingbible.org/articles/gospel-shaped-giving/ for the entire series; it’s well worth your time!)

1) Appetite. The appetite for “more” will never be fully satisfied. The more a craving is fed, the larger it becomes. Instead, appetites are kept in their proper place through deprivation.

2) Awareness. Awareness plays a critical role in the development of generous hearts. As we become increasingly aware of the needs of those around us, we become more driven by their need than our discontent over what we don’t possess. The desire for possessions doesn’t entirely disappear; rather, it is overshadowed by the desire to do something greater with our resources…something that will last for eternity and will generate a deeper level of satisfaction than any possession ever could.

How have you been the recipient of “red plastic flowers”? What needs are you aware of that could use some resources during this giving season?