When Milton J. Petrie died at the age of 92, his lifelong pattern of generous giving continued. The newspaper headline reporting his death said: Millionaire's Death Doesn't Stop His Generosity.

Petrie, the son of a Russian immigrant pawnshop owner, built his fortune with a chain of women's clothing stores. His will named 451 beneficiaries of his $800 million estate. Many recipients were faithful employees, some were personal friends, and others were people he had read about and decided to help through a difficult time.

Few of us have the monetary resources of Milton Petrie, but we have the same opportunities to give. People all around us need time, encouragement, financial help, compassion, friendship, and prayer. How do we feel about giving what we have?

Proverbs 11:24-25 challenges our natural inclination to be tight-fisted: "There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself."

We can hide our eyes from opportunities to give, or we can seek them out. Will we be generous today?  — David C. McCasland