What we already knew....we are in a recession.

After church on Sunday the Rev. Diane gave my husband a copy of her Thanksgiving service to share with me. I was so blessed by her words, and today one of the points she made kept echoing in my head and heart - more on that later.

Today the government announced with its usual flair that we have apparently been in a recession for one year. Now I don't know about you, but I didn't need that announcement to confirm what I've known for quite some time. Sure there are technical, economic indicators that confirm we are indeed in an economic recession. Unfortunately its only in hindsight that this pronouncement can be made - with historical data.

How then are we to respond, especially as Christians. Now we get back to the Rev. Diane's most awesome Thanksgiving message. She says, "now is not the time to hoard, or operate from fear but rather to be as generous as you can afford to be in sharing your blessings with others who are less fortunate." I mean wow, how counter intuitive, yet how totally Christ-like. Right now, I am watching every single penny I am spending, and cutting every extravagance - but the one thing I shouldn't be cutting is my giving; especially to the poor, needy, and disenfranchised. Sure that would be an easy cut because really how far away from us are they? Africa, Indonesia, Russia? Well no, they are our neighbors. They are people just like you and me - people who have been laid off from work who just need a little kindness; someone to be generous with them in these scary times.

So these were my marching orders this past weekend, give as much as we can - not simply materially but time, energy, love, laughter, interest, compassion, care, concern, acknowledgment, encouragement and the coat off your back. Now that is a challenge that gets me excited about weathering this recession, staying generous in word, spirit, and deed through fearful times.

What about you, will you join me in becoming recession proof through having a spirit of generosity? Go ahead, try it tomorrow just bless someone either in spirit or deed and see how it goes. Maybe even that homeless person at the end of the freeway off ramp who you think is just running a racket, give them the benefit of the doubt and a buck or a burger or something.....just do it, try this generosity thing on for size and lets see if we can't counter the pervasive fear that is spreading around with some good old fashion christian love and kindness.