We are currently in San Luis Obispo. We normally take a vacation in the summer, this year we've decided to make a weekend road trip to the the place where H and I met. We can reminis and also bum out at Pismo Beach. When we were students, we love going to Thai Classic in SLO, but it was getting pricey. H found another Thai restaurant on Yelp near our hotel, Thai Dheva. We decided to go because Yelp was selling a $20 coupon for $10.
Look at our meal! Four delicious dishes (fried rice, green curry with pork, green beans with tofu, and eggplants) and it was FREE to us. What did we do to get this? Nothing. How did we get it? Well, the couple at the next table, who were strangers to us, paid for our meal and ask the waiter not to tell us until they left. When the waiter told us, I was in shock. They did what? Why would they do such a thing? Who would do such a thing? They did a good deed without expecting anything in return, not even a thank you.
The Father has taught me so many lessons about giving in the recent year. The first lesson is to give generously to everyone. Most of us are giving to our family and friends. We often buy them gifts and treat them to dinner. What about the people we don't know or don't know so well? Our adoption and this experience of generosity from strangers made me think about who I am to give to. During our adoption fundraising, there were many many people who generously supported us; some are good friends, some are strangers, some we didn't know so well, and some of them I have not heard from in a long time. Everyone gave out of their giving hearts. Again, I thank you with all my heart. The strangers at the restaurant made me think about the people that I give to and the people I don't give to either intentionally or unintentionally. I am not sure if you are like me. I don't hesitate to give to those in need. Well, that's because those people can't provide for themselves. But I don't intentionally seek out for opportunities to give to people I perceived to be financially well off. This experience taught me to be generous to everyone because generosity itself is a blessing to both the giver and receiver. The strangers gave to us for the sole reason of blessing us. Not because of our good looks, my cute children, and certainly not because we looked needy. They knew we can afford it; we were there intending to pay for our own meal. God used their generosity to teach me something.
The second lesson I learned is to give without the expectation of anything in return, not even a "thank you". Those strangers gave to us but didn't give us the opportunity to thank them. Have you had the experience where you searched long and hard for a gift for someone or you got him/her a HUGE gift and you waited for that person to say "thank you" and express their appreciation? Most of the time, I don't wait for the appreciation, but sometimes I do. The waiting for the "thank you" is expecting something in return. We should not give expecting anything. I always teach the boys to say "thank you" to be polite and rightly so. We should be polite and say "thank you" for a gift. However, the generous giver does not expect appreciation. Good lessons learned.
Look at our meal! Four delicious dishes (fried rice, green curry with pork, green beans with tofu, and eggplants) and it was FREE to us. What did we do to get this? Nothing. How did we get it? Well, the couple at the next table, who were strangers to us, paid for our meal and ask the waiter not to tell us until they left. When the waiter told us, I was in shock. They did what? Why would they do such a thing? Who would do such a thing? They did a good deed without expecting anything in return, not even a thank you.
The Father has taught me so many lessons about giving in the recent year. The first lesson is to give generously to everyone. Most of us are giving to our family and friends. We often buy them gifts and treat them to dinner. What about the people we don't know or don't know so well? Our adoption and this experience of generosity from strangers made me think about who I am to give to. During our adoption fundraising, there were many many people who generously supported us; some are good friends, some are strangers, some we didn't know so well, and some of them I have not heard from in a long time. Everyone gave out of their giving hearts. Again, I thank you with all my heart. The strangers at the restaurant made me think about the people that I give to and the people I don't give to either intentionally or unintentionally. I am not sure if you are like me. I don't hesitate to give to those in need. Well, that's because those people can't provide for themselves. But I don't intentionally seek out for opportunities to give to people I perceived to be financially well off. This experience taught me to be generous to everyone because generosity itself is a blessing to both the giver and receiver. The strangers gave to us for the sole reason of blessing us. Not because of our good looks, my cute children, and certainly not because we looked needy. They knew we can afford it; we were there intending to pay for our own meal. God used their generosity to teach me something.
The second lesson I learned is to give without the expectation of anything in return, not even a "thank you". Those strangers gave to us but didn't give us the opportunity to thank them. Have you had the experience where you searched long and hard for a gift for someone or you got him/her a HUGE gift and you waited for that person to say "thank you" and express their appreciation? Most of the time, I don't wait for the appreciation, but sometimes I do. The waiting for the "thank you" is expecting something in return. We should not give expecting anything. I always teach the boys to say "thank you" to be polite and rightly so. We should be polite and say "thank you" for a gift. However, the generous giver does not expect appreciation. Good lessons learned.
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