Generosity As Bridge to God

Sophy Owens’ mother, a longtime and talented bookkeeper, had one outstanding parent quality. She never failed to make sure her daughter had extra money anytime she was leaving the house. From the time Sophy was a child, just walking to the library or to the drugstore in busy upper Manhattan, or later, off to some high school event, this single-again mom forever asked: “Honey, have you got enough money with you?” And before Sophy could respond, there was a small wad of green bills shoved into her hand.

According to Sophy, “mom could be impossibly generous, bestowing gifts wherever she felt the urge. And always with that smile. Never extravagant because we had only modest means, just giving what her heart could give. Sophy’s name for mom? “God’s Great Distributor”

“Once when my cousin came to stay, mom went after all the change in the cookie jar for that leg of lamb she’d been eyeing at the butcher’s. It would be an afternoon of culinary effort. Before it was over, like Babette’s feast, magic appeared from nowhere. We all toasted Sophy for that gourmet celebration.”

Sophy discovered these guiding thoughts in her mother’s diary after she passed on: God sees a reflection of himself when we practice generosity toward others. This kind of generosity, perhaps given through church contributions or directly to a child becomes a glorious bridge between ourselves and God. Something so honest and simple as disposing of bills into my daughter’s wallet links me to my Creator.