“GETTING BACK WHAT WE GIVE”
November 2011
Years ago I heard a story about an Arab tribal chieftain who died, leaving his three sons his entire estate. This consisted of seventeen camels. The law of the tribe decreed that the oldest son was to receive half of the estate. The second son was to receive a third of it. The youngest son would receive one ninth. But the three sons fell to arguing amongst themselves about how to divide the estate. After all, how could seventeen camels be divided into halves? Or thirds, or ninths, for that matter?
The father’s dearest friend and neighbor was saddened to see the young men arguing over his old friend’s estate, so he sought to help them. Finally he decided to take his camel and give it to them to make their total eighteen, a number easy to divide.
The oldest son took half the total which was nine. The second son took his one third, which amounted to six camels. The youngest son was happy to receive his one ninth of his father’s estate which was two camels. Nine plus six plus two equals seventeen. There was one camel left. They gave it back to the neighbor along with the undying gratitude and respect of the three sons.
Yes, there is a moral to the story. What we generously give away has a tendency to come back to us in one form or another. When we are responsive to needs besides our own, then our own needs get met, sometimes in surprising ways. We are all called by God to be givers who generously support the mission of the church. This not only blesses others with the truth, love and compassion of the Lord, but the amazing God we serve makes sure we are blessed in the process.
Grace and Peace,
Craig