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Good morning.

The story goes that one day, while wandering through the forest, an old man stumbled upon a precious stone. He picked it up, dusted it off and put it into his bag.

Some days later he met a younger man and, in conversation with him, opened his bag and showed him the stone. The young man’s eyes were filled with envy and he demanded that it was handed over to him. The old man smiled and did so readily.

The young man departed in a hurry, overjoyed with his new possession which would buy him great wealth.

However, some days later he returned. ‘Here, have it back’ he said, thrusting the stone into the old man’s hand. ‘Instead, I want you to give me something much more valuable than this. Give me whatever it was that enabled you to let go of the stone in the first place.’

The concept that genuine happiness can be derived from self-sacrifice will, to some, appear feeble, laughable, even contemptible. But what if giving, rather than receiving, really is the key? What if, in the act of serving – we gain far more than we could possibly have imagined?Ìý What if the ability to live simply and be generous to others is born not of weakness, but of inner strength?

Jesus taught us to behave as if nothing we give away could ever make us poorer. Give it away he said, and you’ll get back more than you ever dreamt of; live with reckless generosity. Rather than trying to grip our possessions with tight, anxious hands, he urged us to unclench our fists and live with an open hand and heart.

God of grace. Teach us how to live generously. Give us the courage to prefer the needs of others than being submerged in our own. Amen.
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