I know a twelve-year old boy who wants to save all of his hard-earned allowance to buy a $604 lightsaber that looks and sounds like the one in the Star Wars movies.

This boy loves everything Star Wars.  He knows the characters, plots and themes.  The kid plays Star Wars music on the piano and has built countless Star Wars – Lego battle-ships.  To top it all off, I’ve seen him swing his $2.29 lightsaber better than the most accomplished samurai swordsman.

$604 is three times more than I paid for my first car.  But despite the outrageous cost and his parent’s many attempts to dissuade the boy from making this purchase – this young man is determined to get that lightsaber.

So you can only imagine my surprise when his dad told me that he had given his money to a sixty-year old woman who had fallen on hard times.   He emptied his piggy bank and counted $650 in front of his dad, and said, “I know she needs this money a whole lot more than I need a lightsaber and I want to give it all to her.”

Did you hear that gulping sound coming from me?

My problem is that I know Jesus’ story of the widow’s mite, ^{Luke 21:1-4} and I know the Bible says that true religion is coming to the aid of widows and orphans. ^{James 1:27} But I’ve convinced myself that I need to be prudent about giving, and I wrestle with it, thinking if I just had a little more saved, then I can give more.

I’ve sure made giving complicated.

Perhaps it can all be simplified into two easy questions… Where is my heart, and who is truly my number one? ^{Exodus 20:3}  Good questions that deserve heartfelt answers.

When I grow up – I want to be just like that 12-year-old boy.  How about you?  Who do you know that you can be generous with today?  Who do you know who could use a helping hand, some money or maybe some help getting groceries?  When we truly look for ways to be generous, God will help us find them.