BEYOND / God is the Ultimate Giver
A Story from Jen Maier
I have been fortunate to be the recipient of great generosity from my parents and husband especially, but also many friends and family members in a variety of forms. At this particular point one form I truly value is time. In my teaching career, I have received the gift of time from others over and over. When I began teaching, I had a mentor who was willing to meet me at any time to help me learn all that I needed to be successful. Being a mom of young children, she had to bring them along, and they patiently waited while we were working. I received that gift again when I switched grade levels and districts. I had another teacher stay late with me night after night, share resources, and even invite me to team teach with her so she could model lessons for me. This has impacted me and now motivates me to return the favor to other new teachers.
Something I have learned about generosity is that it seems to propagate itself. I have witnessed abundant generosity through my mother. I now have the desire to do unto others as she has done to me. I have also seen amazing instances at Good Shepherd, and as a result, I have felt motivated to give to others in similar ways. I became a member of God’s Hands and Feet, a small group, and am continually in awe of the dedication and generosity of other members of the group. They never tire of giving to and doing for others.
One other profound example for me was being a part of Team World Vision. Colin Grove has generously led the group for years, which resulted in bringing clean water to hundreds of children in Africa. My life has also been touched by the endless generosity of the leaders and members of Echoes of Grace for their time, talents and prayer. I thank God for these fine mentors and friends.
Having been so blessed, and therefore motivated, I have been able to be generous in return with my time and money. I have increased my financial giving gradually by not only giving to the church but also sponsoring children through World Vision and setting a goal to contribute regularly to other Christian causes. I am also giving my time through music. I firmly believe the verse from Luke that when we are blessed, much is also expected of us. God is the ultimate generous giver, and I am excited and hopeful about future opportunities at Good Shepherd.
Jen joined Good Shepherd in January 2001 when Good Shepherd Verona was beginning to hold services at Badger Ridge Middle School. She is married to Kurt Maier with 2 children: Evan (16) and Larissa (12) and works as a 5th grade teacher.
