Inspiring Commitment - May 9
2 Corinthians 9:10
Deborah Laforet
Inspiring Commitment
Let us pray. May the words from my lips and the meditations of my heart be guided by the Spirit and be words of wisdom for our world today. Amen.
When I was young, eight years old, my dad died. My mom was left on her own with four young children, with me being the oldest. We moved to Michigan to be closer to my mom’s family. My dad’s family, although he had grown up in Michigan, was spread all over the U.S., mostly because he and his brothers had all joined the U.S. Navy. I had an uncle in New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia. His sister, my aunt, was in Florida with my grandmother. Unfortunately, because they all lived so far away, I lost touch with my dad’s family for a number of years, which also meant I lost my dad in more than just a physical way. I lost those people who would have continued to keep my dad in my life through stories and pictures and just by being present in my life.
One summer, when I was fourteen, my aunt was in Michigan and decided to drop by the house and see us. Her daughter, my cousin, was with her and my grandmother. I remember it being a great visit, getting to know these strangers, who were family. My aunt wanted to know us more and committed to having us visit her in Florida during the summers. The following summer, she flew me down to visit her. The summer after that, she had both my brothers visit, and the summer after that, I got to go again with my sister. I have visited Florida several times over the years, including to have her meet my fiancé and then my children.
I am very grateful to my aunt for making this commitment. My family did not have a lot of money, and my aunt generously flew us to Florida and spoiled us while we were there. I am grateful for having these times to know my grandmother before she died. I will also be forever grateful to my aunt for sharing stories with me about my dad, the good and the bad. She showed me pictures of my family and she told me about my grandparents and her siblings. She showered me with lots of love and laughter and made me feel loved and valued.
She didn’t have to do any of this. She could have stayed in Florida. She could have just resented my mom for not being in touch. She could have stayed a distant relative, just my dad’s sister, someone who existed on a family tree, and not a part of my life.
My aunt is committed to family. She is devoted to her children and grandchildren. She was devoted to her mom, and cared for her after she was widowed and then later when she had dementia. She’s not perfect; none of us are, but she is one of the most generous people I know. She has planted seeds in me that have grown into my own commitment to learning about my dad and to staying in touch with family, no matter how far away they live. I’m not great at phone calls but I love writing letters and I love visiting. It’s a great excuse to go to Florida or Texas or Virginia. My aunt’s commitment to generosity, her commitment to getting to know her brother’s family, her commitment to sharing her love has been an inspiration to me.
Who do you have in your life that has inspired you, that has planted seeds because of their commitment. Maybe it was a teacher who was passionately committed to teaching their students or sharing the love of their subject. Maybe it was someone in your family or a friend who showed a commitment to love, forgiveness, patience, generosity. Maybe it was someone who dedicated themselves to helping those in need or to creating a community that meets the needs of those in the community. Or maybe it was someone who simply showed dedication a task, like a gardener, pulling weeds, digging, planting, harvesting, committing time and energy to creating a beautiful and abundant garden.
Maybe you have been an inspiration to someone. You may not ever know it, and that’s OK. Seeds are planted and sometimes we don’t see their growth. Sometimes we have to trust that our own commitment to sharing our love and generosity will transform the world, or at least a person or two. We may never know but we give anyway, trusting that God will use what we give to make a difference.
In Paul’s letter to the community in Corinth, he tells them that he has been bragging about them to others, that their promised and most generous gift has been an inspiration to others, and in the verse we heard this morning, Paul goes further. He writes of the commitment of God, that the Holy One provides seed for the planter, bread for food, a harvest of justice, always providing abundantly. Paul writes, “There are no limits to the grace of God, who will make sure you will always have enough of everything and even a surplus for good works.”
When we commit to generosity, we are trusting that we have enough. In fact, we are trusting in abundance, in plenty for all and the ability to give and to share without worry of scarcity. Stewardship is all about sharing out of our abundance with a world that needs our care, our compassion, and our love.
In this community of faith, I have witnessed a commitment to reaching out to one another by making phone calls, sending cards, making casseroles, making videos for worship - supporting one another when we need support. I have witnessed a dedication to reaching out beyond our walls, to the wider community, caring for students who are disappointed by their adults in their lives, partnering with organizations to feed people and house them, to provide spaces to talk about mental health struggles, to walk with those who are grieving, those who are isolated, those who are rejected and oppressed, and those who just need to know they’re not forgotten.
This faith community has so much to give and for 65 years, St. Paul’s has committed to giving, with their time, their talents, and their treasure. And that is inspiring.
May we appreciate God’s abundance of grace and unconditional love in our lives. May Christ be our example of how to love our neighbours with commitment and generosity. And may the Spirit inspire us to continue giving generously out of our abundance. Thanks be to God. Amen.