Everyday Canvas

Courage, Generosity, and Gratitude

"Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it, I think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave...to make ourselves useful. It allows us to be generous, which is another way of saying exactly the same thing." Marilynne Robinson
Explore the connection between courage and generosity. What do you find are the greatest emotional challenges to doing something so bravely useful?

=============

I think the quote is really talking about divine grace in a person’s life, with reference to the different positions of the several branches of varied theological systems. The quote-sayer Marilynne Robinson believes that like divine grace, a divine courage could be there to allow us to have the courage to be useful and generous. If one believes and works from the standpoint that everything comes from God, then this stance makes sense, but then, not everyone is such a strong believer.

With or without inserting God into the action, some of us have to gather ourselves together and find that courage—actually any courage—within us to do anything. As to generosity needing courage, I am not very sure of that idea. If one sees someone else needing something he or she can give, why would one need courage for it? What one needs, in fact, is empathy and logic because the heart or rather the intelligence of the heart is needed in the core of a person’s being for him or her to show generosity.

The only place where courage is needed for generosity could be in the execution of the generous acts. The questions that may need careful consideration before doing a generous act can be: Shall I hurt this person’s feelings by giving her/him what I have? By going to this person’s aid, am I doing him or anyone else any harm? What if the advantage I grant to this person is used not for the good of him or others or even the nation? If this act of generosity means a sacrifice of any kind, would this sacrifice hurt or help this person and other people, and how much this sacrifice will cost me in terms of my family’s, friends' and my own physical, emotional, or spiritual well-being?

For authentic, unselfish generosity to happen, it needs to also be heartfelt and logical. Otherwise, I could just stand on a street corner and throw dollar bills and butter cookies all over the place and call myself generous.

Prompt: At the root of joy is gratitude and both abound in this annual autumn repast. From far and wide, loved ones gather to share a simple banquet with those they love. I love Christmas but I feel stores start putting Christmas items out too early and we need to remember Thanksgiving and give it, it's day. Black Friday should start Friday, not Thanksgiving Day. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

=========

I think gratitude is the main reaction we need to feel not only during Thanksgiving but also during all the holidays and all the days of our lives because gratitude is much more than a turkey or a pumpkin pie. As opposed to wanting to get things, gratitude focuses on what we already have. In addition, it can be cultivated to increase the feeling of well-being and happiness.

Being thankful for what we have or for the status quo can cause us to engage life more willfully and experience healthy emotions because our thankfulness builds self-esteem, improves relationships, and helps attract positive interest from others. This is because thankful people are less likely to retaliate when criticized since they find a spiritual connection to a constructive force to steer the direction of their lives. In the same vein, people who regularly practice thankfulness can endure traumatic experiences much more effectively.

In short, when we look at what and who we already have and think about the source of these gifts, this perspective leads us on a positive road and opens many doors to surprising opportunities.