BEYOND / Generosity: Generation to Generation

A Story from the Frei Family

While having a generous spirit can be created in many different manners, I believe that creating a generous spirit in our children is a responsibility we all have as Christian parents. Looking back at my own parents, I saw in them examples of:

1. Writing a check each Sunday, putting that check into the church envelope and placing that envelope in the collection plate as it passed our family in church.

2. Freely giving of time and serving on church committees and boards.

3. Encouraging us while children to give financially and of our time to the church and other needs in the community.

These examples of generosity were ingrained in my spirit with a recognition that we were only giving back to God or to others what He had first given to us. During our years of involvement with our Good Shepherd family, Jan and I have tried to consistently model that same generosity of time and finances for our three sons. Now as grown, married men and members of their own churches, we see them continuing to live the lessons I was taught 50 years ago by a prior generation.

The gifts of time and money that we have had the privilege to share with our community at Good Shepherd have consistently come back to us in blessings far greater than our original gift. Those gifts have included a sense of fellowship/community, place of feeling at home and abundant support in time of need. Sharing and modeling the spirit of generosity is both a privilege and responsibility we are given to model for our children and the greater community.  Let us give generously to fulfill that responsibility from generation to generation.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”    1 Chronicles 29:14

Steve and Jan Frei have been members of Good Shepherd for 25 years. They have three children: Seth, Ross and Ian. Steve is an engineer.