We were attending a destination fundraising gala for a nonprofit we like. I know the director a bit and we saw her the day before the gala at the hotel. She looked exhausted. These huge galas are SO MUCH WORK to put on, and it had clearly taken a toll – and the event hadn’t even happened yet!

I couldn’t lighten her load, but I wanted to encourage her, so I called the spa at the hotel to see if I could get a massage appointment for her the day after the gala, so she could relax and leave all of the stress behind. They had a spot, and I booked it for her. I didn’t need her to know it was me, so I asked the spa to call and let her know about her massage appointment later that weekend.

Well, the anonymous thing didn’t work out because I got a call about an hour later from the ED. She was in tears. She felt “seen.” She felt cared for (even though the massage was two days away). She felt relief – knowing she was going to get some pampering when the gala was finally over. She was so grateful. What a fun way to bless someone who works so hard for so little pay – as is true for most nonprofit EDs!
This gift was such a joy! I was soooo excited that the Lord nudged me to do this when I was talking with her the day before the gala.

Interestingly, the gala was at a fancy hotel/resort, and so the prices for treatments at the spa there were quite high. I would NEVER spend that much money on myself for a massage. NEVER. But it was pure joy to spend it on her.

Isn’t that what generosity is like? It takes the golden rule to another level. Instead of “treating others as you would like them to treat you,” you treat others BETTER than you would treat yourself. It feels abundant, extravagant, and way more fun. Amen!