A long time ago, in a land far away, I was a young sailor with a small family. There were four of us: a husband, a wife, and two young boys. We lived a thousand miles away from all four grandparents.
Because I was a sailor on deployment, I was in Rio de Janeiro when our youngest son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy just before his first birthday. That was a difficult thing to process. It was hard to accept that our hopes, dreams, and expectations for this child might not be fulfilled. They certainly weren’t in my initial limited thinking.
But thankfully, he grew, progressed, and became a great blessing to everyone who knew him despite his disabilities. Unfortunately, there came a day when the diagnosis changed to a fatal brain disease, leukodystrophy.
If it was hard before, this was excruciating on nearly every level. Financially, as an E4 in the US Navy, we were almost living in poverty. Today, I can’t imagine the struggles we faced. But when you added in this new disease, it felt hopeless.
As we tried to understand this new reality, I was completely overwhelmed by the people from church who wanted to help us. I was resistant because I insisted on standing on my own.
But eventually, a man from church—how I wish I could remember his name—sternly (an understatement) told me that my refusal was preventing others from experiencing the joy that comes from serving and giving to others. I was humbled that day, and I’ve never forgotten the lesson that helping and giving are a joy of their own.
I may have forgotten the name of the man mentioned above, but I am glad to know Rob. He is kind, quiet, and unassuming. You might never notice him in a crowd. But Rob? He’s generous to a fault, and that generosity is a great partner in ministry to have.
Like most people, Rob has made some mistakes in life—he’d be the first to admit it. But from what I can see, his mistakes have helped shape him into a man of compassion and grace. For example, on several occasions, he has quietly shown that he’s willing to help and give financially in certain situations. He wants no fanfare, no recognition of any kind.
Rob isn’t much older than me in the grand scheme of life, but his willing, eager generosity amazes me. I want to be like him when I grow up. I want to be selfless and confident in helping those who need it most.
In this holiday season, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all be like Rob?
“One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. ” (Proverbs 11:24 CSB)
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
