Preparing Your Harvest of Generosity

With non-essential travel restricted this summer, my wife and I have rediscovered the joy of our own backyard. This is certainly a change of pace from the usual schedule of visits and activities, but it has given us a chance to relax, reconnect, and appreciate the fruit trees, shrubs and grape vines we’ve planted over the years.

Necessary Pruning

Tending to the trees and shrubs is easy, but the grape vines are another story. Each fall, I aggressively cut them back to the main vine, and each year, from the time they begin leafing out in spring, they keep pushing out new growth. This pruning is needed to maintain balance and to keep the vines from overtaking the yard. Without it, they just keep shooting out new branches in every direction and direct less energy to producing the tasty grapes that make great juice and jelly.

Cutting Back on Busyness

Like those grape vines, many families accustomed to extremely busy schedules are experiencing a much needed pruning lately. Many of the social and financial commitments that used to fill their calendars have been temporarily suspended. By cutting back these commitments, they are finding they have time and energy to focus on activities such as meals together, going for walks, and helping others.

For some people, this change of pace has also pruned back expenses such as registration fees, entertainment, and the cost of commuting. As a result, they have more money to give to the causes they care about. For example, one family used the refund they received from a cancelled vacation to support a project overseas, and another donated the money they would have spent sending their kids to summer camp to a local program for children in need. However, this kind of generosity doesn’t have to be a “just during the pandemic” change.

Is Your Generosity Flourishing?

My grapevines need ongoing pruning to produce grapes year after year; in the same way a Generosity Plan™ can ensure your giving continues to flourish. In my work at Abundance Canada, I love helping you think through your charitable goals and then developing a customized plan to help you achieve them. Having a plan that fits into your life now and into the future means you can keep up with your charitable giving even when the busyness of life returns.

How is the grapevine of your life doing lately? Has recent pruning increased the fruitfulness of your generosity? Do you have a plan to keep your giving going?