One summer day I was sitting on the front porch with my favorite aunt and she asked me to open my hand. I thought, “What in the world this is about?” But my love and respect for her prompted me to comply with her request. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a bright new quarter. Then she asked, “Pat, what is this?” In my mind I am thinking “Really?” In my time of growing up children were not allowed to “sass” adults and especially not family members! I said very slowly and carefully so as not to sound disrespectful, “A quarter.” She replied, “Yes!”
She put the quarter inside of my hand, with these instructions: “Close your hand tightly and no matter how hard I try, don’t let me get that piece of money out of your hand!”
The games began. She tried. I resisted. This tug of war went on for a while. Finally she said “Open your hand.” Whew! This had gotten quite tiring, I said to myself. I opened my hand and guess what she did?
Aunt Rena took her quarter back!
Now she asked me to open my hand and keep it opened. By now I am thinking “What?” Again, I played along. She put the quarter in and out of my open hand several times. Then she repeated the open and close spiel again! By now, I am really sick of this dumb game! But because Aunt Rena was my favorite aunt, I smiled and continued to play along.
This time after taking the quarter, she asked me to close my hand and when I did she tried to put the quarter into my closed hand, but because my hand was closed she could not get that quarter into my hand! Then she said something simple yet profound. “The key to having more than you need and something to give away is keeping an open hand!” Aunt Rena said when you keep your hands open, something can come in and something can go out.
I really thought that that was a silly game. In retrospect I realize that the concept of sowing and reaping, seed time and harvest was taught to me as a child in a very simple, but yet profound way! This concept has become an intricate part of my life.
Luke 6:38 reads: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Travel with me as we explore life lessons.