Can I Get a Cookie?

So the other day I’m sitting on the porch with my daughter, Athena—she’s four, and she’s got this cookie she made over at Margie Stalling’s house. Now, Margie makes amazing cookies, which might explain why Athena was holding onto hers like it was solid gold. And I do what any good dad does in this situation—I ask if she’ll share some with me. You could see the crisis unfolding right there on her little face. She loves sharing. Big sharer, Athena. But she’s also figured out that sharing means less cookie for her. It’s a cookie economy problem.

So she’s thinking it through, weighing her options. Then she makes her decision. She breaks off what is either an invisible cookie crumb or a molecule—it’s so small it’s debatable—and she places it in my hand. Straight-faced, she tells me, “It’s good to share, Dad.” Then, with the guilt mounting, she goes back inside and gets me my own cookie.

We laugh, but the truth is, sharing is easy until we realize it’s going to cost us something. Donating our old clothes that we no longer wear is wonderful—it helps people and clears closet space—but that’s not the type of generosity that stretches us. True generosity requires sacrifice. It’s about giving away something we value—our time when our schedule is packed or cutting back on personal pleasures so we can afford to help someone in genuine need.

Recently, Tyler Ash led a group from our church to an orphanage in Romania. They raised money, gave up valuable vacation days, and spent their time and attention on children who craved love and affirmation. You’d think they’d return exhausted and drained. But here’s the paradox: every single person came back overwhelmed—not by fatigue, but by joy. They couldn’t stop talking about how much more they received than they gave.

Paul highlights this beautifully in his farewell message to the Ephesian elders: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

It might seem counterintuitive, but when we choose to share generously—even at a real cost—we discover a joy deeper than we imagined. So maybe it’s time we all take a lesson from Athena: share, even if at first, it feels tough. Because the truth is, generosity changes us as much as it changes the world around us.

 Grace & Peace,

 Nathan Lawson