What is enough for you? “Enough-A quantity that satisfies”? Enough money? Enough material things? Clothes? Cars? Enough friends?

What does is mean to be generous? “Generous-Ample, abundant, not stingy”. Can one be generous only when one has enough?

Is being generous the same as sharing? “Share- to divide and distribute in portions.”

My nephew tells the story of when he was visiting an under-developed nation. He was being shown around to different mission projects by one of the local pastors and a guide. Andrew had been advised to bring snacks along with him during the day as the availability of food, namely food that would agree with a westerner's stomach, was slim.

He brought out his little baggy of pretzels and was going to eat. He turned to the local pastor to see if the gentleman would want any. The man had never had pretzels. He was as poor as the people they were visiting.

My nephew goes on to say that without a moment’s hesitation the local pastor turned to the guide traveling with them and immediately offered him some pretzels.

As Andrew commented, what a testimony of generosity from someone who did not have much. Certainly from someone who didn’t have “enough”. The man’s first thought was to share, to divide and distribute his portion.

When I look at the natural world I see a system that is designed for sharing and generosity. Oh sure, there is the survival of the fittest and the “dog eat dog” world. The animal kingdom can be quite brutal. But I am thinking more of the plants and the growing world that sustains us. Take my marigolds- one little flower contains dozens of seeds. I saved some from last year and am now seeing the growth of multiple flowers. My hydrangeas are bursting with blooms just beckoning to be shared.

Currently we are living in the epicenter of the Cicada “invasion”. It is an unbelievable testament to the mystery of God’s incredible design. These strange, alien-looking critters only come to the surface every seventeen years and are short-lived. Their sole purpose is to continue the cicada line by surfacing, mating and then dying. The next generation lives and grows in the earth until the next seventeen years and the cycle begins again. Why we may ask? Who knows? But these critters aerate the soil, provide an abundant food source for birds and the like, and their composting bodies provide organic matter. Their abundance and “generosity” in the natural world provides more than enough. Supposedly there are 1.4 million cicadas per acre. If you lived at our home you would believe it- the sound of all of them vying for mates is deafening.

When I see the natural abundance around me I realize that with God, there is always enough. Perhaps that is what that local pastor knew when he shared his pretzels with his fellow guide.

What about you? What is your take on “enough” and sharing? Do you know people who are extremely generous? Time? Talent? Resources? Those whose first thought is to share?

My prayer is that when I turn to those around me, may my first reaction be to share. After all, with God, there is always enough.