The Joy of Giving

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! —2 Corinthians 9:15

One of my favorite “gratitude account” stories involves a homeless man named George, who lived in a rented room at a Chicago YMCA and spent his mornings napping in an old metal chair in the back of a police precinct.

Two officers had grown fond of George and would sometimes slip him a few bucks to help him on his way, even though they knew that Billy the Greek, owner of the nearby G&W Grill, was in the daily habit of fixing George a nice, hot breakfast, free of charge.

When Christmas arrived, the officers and their families invited George for dinner. And they pulled out several presents for him to unwrap, just like the others in their family.

As they drove back to the Y, George asked if they could swing by the G&W to see Billy. As they let George out of the car, his arms full of boxes he had been quietly rewrapping, they watched in disbelief as he walked up to this kind short-order cook and placed every single present in the arms of his friend. ⁴

⁴ Modified from Russell Kelfer, “A Grateful Spirit, Part 2,” (176–b), 14, available at russellkelfer.org/Bible-Lessons-by-Russell-Kelfer.htm.