There is a strange and wonderful phenomenon that occurs when you give something freely to someone. There is an immense feeling of gratitude that comes to the giver as well as the receiver. Most folks speak of the recipient’s gratitude in receiving a gift, but overlook acknowledging the immense joy that comes to the giver.
I had a call to my heart recently. As most of you know, I communicate with the Divine daily, and enjoy direct communication with Him. The compelling moment came to me without hesitation – the occasion was my first-born grandchild’s 16th birthday. She chose, beyond all choices, to come to Florida and spend that sacred ‘Sweet 16’ with us, her Florida-residing aging grandparents. That event alone was remarkable. But that is who this kid is – she’s steadfast and reliable, she’s courageous beyond her tender years, she is sweet and loving like a young child, and fierce in all her commitments. It was during that visit that God planted a seed in me. One day during that visit we were taking a ride, she told me how much she loved coming to visit us in Florida and riding in my spiffy new Cadillac SUV. She told me how much freedom she felt getting off the plane, heading to the island and riding with the windows down. That’s when I turned to her and said, “You are 16 now and about to get your license. Once you do, I am going to give you this car! Well, the explosion of excitement that follow was nothing short of a seismic blast. That event was in January. Now, it is July – six months later and the rest of the story begins to unfold.
During the semester that followed her 16th birthday in January, this extraordinary and impressive young woman, spoke openly about her discontent with her public-school education. There were struggles and pressures that weren’t akin to her set of values. Hence, a family dialogue began about a solution. Within a month, an answer was delivered – a university-model, faith-based Academy located about 20 miles from their Virginia home had opened their enrollment and was accepting new students. She applied. She was just the type of student the school had built their success on, and she got in! Now, here comes the delivery…
Being an only-child of two successful parents who worked full-time, she would need her own transportation to this new school. Hey…I already told you a seed had been planted; the question then became not when but how. How to effectuate a delivery of this car. Next, comes another notion that propelled the “gift” northward. My granddaughter is a gifted agile athlete and on a competitive dance-cheer team. She found a Cheer Clinic for Co-ed Stunts being held in Tampa, a mere 50 miles from our home. She applied. She was accepted. So, she and her mother flew into Sarasota, spent the day and night with us, packed up the Cadi and drove up to Tampa. The day following her clinic, they will take a two-hour drive to Sanford Florida where they will meet the Amtrak Auto Train which will deliver them to Lorton VA a mere 30 minutes from their home. My goodness, planes, trains and automobiles!
The moral of this beautiful story is Joy. As I sit writing this piece, I am filled with immense joy. That kind of feeling comes from giving. There is nothing else on earth that compares to this depth of feeling. So, folks, if you are feeling the least bit out of alignment, go out and find a way to give to another human. Your reward will be heaven on earth.
