So, I had lunch with a friend this past week. He's someone that I don't see that often anymore, maybe about once a month, but we both make an intentional effort to stay connected.

I really enjoy his company, even though we don't always see eye to eye on everything. The fact is that he has significantly more education than I do in theological matters (he's almost finished with a doctoral program!), but we are able to respect each others differences, and I know that our differences stretch me, and I hope they do the same for him.

Anyway, I've recently come to some conclusions
concerning generosity...it's sort of like generosity on a radical level, and we talked about that a little bit over lunch. We talked about a variety of other things as well, and enjoyed some fantastic Bread Basket food (for those of you who don't live in Auburn Indiana...you are sorely missing out. They have the best sandwiches and soups.) and overall just had a good time.

When it came time to leave, I picked up the check and started to get up. My friend asked how much his part was, and I said, really without even thinking about it, "Don't worry about it."

He sat back down and looked at me kind of funny. Then, after a pause, he said, "I'm really glad you picked up the check." He went on to say that he has been listening to me talk about radical generosity and was wondering, all the way through lunch, if I was all talk, or if I was going to put some kind of action behind my proclaimed beliefs.

He stopped me cold in my tracks. I didn't know what to say. The fact is that I was humbled. It had not even occurred to me that picking up the check was an act of generosity. It just seemed like the natural thing to do, and I really wanted to do it...not for anything he could give me, or for any sort of a sense of fulfillment, or even to be able to say that I did it. It just...seemed natural.

Please don't think I am tooting my own horn, or even trying to do such a thing! I spent the rest of the day thinking about what true generosity is. How many times have I been generous without realizing it? How many times have I been selfish without realizing it? Furthermore, why was I expressing this generosity towards my friend? What were my motives and intentions? Was I glorifying God with my actions?

The fact is that this moment has caused me to step back and completely reevaluate my relationship with God, the creator. Is He oozing out of me? Do I love people because of my love for Him? Is my generosity an expression of His love, or just empty humanitarianism? Am I proud of the things I do, or am I humble?