“Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16, The Message
Grandma Chumley’s life was marked by grace and generosity. Her sweet love for her Lord opened the door for her middle-aged daughter and son-in-law to find peace in Jesus. The light of her smile in loving on her pastor and family with a gift was remarkable. And, her concern for those around her could only be considered an inside out sort of love.
Considerations of her heart brought Grandma Chumley to the conclusion that God had been very generous to her. With that in mind, she opened herself up to others with generosity, always praying that they would know the “generous Father in heaven.”
Now, let me fill you in on a few secrets. When she was young, Grandma Chumley married a man much older than herself. They lived a good life together, but while she was still relatively young, her husband became a bed-ridden invalid; and for years she cared for him. Life was hard, but she knew God to be good. On a very low fixed income Grandma Chumley made do with what many of us would consider the barest of necessities. But, with that low fixed income she also gave generously to others. She knew her pastor didn’t have much, so she would slip him a $10 bill or give him a chicken for his family’s supper. Giving generously to those around her, she would offer encouraging words as well, speaking God’s truth into those who entered her home.
Remarkably, home for Grandma Chumley was an old railroad boxcar. Quaint and tiny, it was her home until she died not so very long ago. Although renovated, it was still a boxcar with not many of the luxuries the rest of us enjoy. Yet, it was a home marked by generosity, an inside out love for Grandma Chumley’s world. She gave away what she could for the love of Jesus, generous to the end.
