Psalms 112:4-5 — Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.
My mom had something I like to call the “Hundred-Dollar Handshake.”
And let me tell you, she was good at it.
I remember watching her do this at church when I was growing up.
Now, you’ve got to understand. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, a hundred-dollar bill was a pretty big deal.
I mean, that’s not money you just casually handed somebody on your way out of Sunday school.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But Mom?
Oh, she had a different way of looking at things.
We’d be standing around after church, talking to people, when I’d see her spot somebody across the room.
And then she’d reach into her purse.
And I’d think, Oh, here she goes again.
She’d pull out a hundred-dollar bill, fold it up in her hand, and make her way across the room.
She’d give that person a hug.
Whisper something in their ear.
Slip that money into their hand.
And then she’d just walk away.
No announcement.
No big production.
No waiting around for someone to thank her.
Just a hug, a handshake, and a hundred dollars.
And there I was, watching the whole thing, thinking…
Mom! Why are you giving away all our money? Don’t you know I need new cleats?
I’m serious!
I thought we were poor!
And the funny thing is, we didn’t have a whole lot of money to spare.
But Mom knew something I hadn’t figured out yet.
You don’t have to have a lot to live generously.
She wasn’t waiting until we had more money.
She wasn’t waiting until every need in our own house had been met and there was plenty left over.
She simply paid attention.
If she saw someone who needed encouragement, she encouraged them.
If someone needed help, she found a way to help.
And sometimes, that help came folded inside a hundred-dollar handshake.
Looking back, I realize something I didn’t understand as a kid.
Mom wasn’t just giving away money.
She was letting people know they mattered.
She saw them.
She noticed their struggles.
And instead of walking past and hoping somebody else would do something, she chose to be that somebody.
That’s what I think about when I read Psalm 112.
It describes people who trust God and whose lives are marked by generosity, compassion, and righteousness.
People who don’t just talk about loving others.
They actually do something about it.
And that’s what my mom modeled for me.
Now, I don’t want you to think she gave because she expected God to make her rich.
That wasn’t it.
She gave because she trusted Him.
And she believed that what she had wasn’t just for her.
It could be used to bless somebody else.
You know, when I was little, I measured what we had by what we could afford.
Did we have enough for new shoes?
Could we buy the things I wanted?
Why was Mom handing out hundred-dollar bills when I needed cleats?
But now that I’m older, I see our life a little differently.
We may not have had a lot of extra money.
But we were rich in the things that mattered.
Rich in compassion.
Rich in relationships.
Rich in the joy of helping somebody else.
And rich in the example of a woman who taught me that generosity isn’t just about what you give.
It’s about whether you’re paying attention.
And friend, I wonder who might be waiting for someone like that in your life today.
Maybe there’s a single mom who’s overwhelmed.
A neighbor who’s lonely.
A coworker who’s having a really hard week.
Or somebody at church who’s smiling on the outside but quietly carrying more than you know.
You might not have a hundred dollars to slip into their hand.
And that’s okay.
Because not every act of generosity comes with a dollar sign.
Sometimes it’s buying somebody lunch.
Sometimes it’s making a phone call.
Sometimes it’s sitting down long enough to really listen.
Sometimes it’s offering a ride, bringing a meal, or simply reminding someone that they haven’t been forgotten.
The most generous thing you give someone today might not come out of your wallet. It might come out of your heart.
So here’s my encouragement.
Start your own version of the Hundred-Dollar Handshake.
Look around.
Pay attention.
Ask God to help you notice the people He places in your path.
And when you see a need you can meet, don’t always wait for somebody else to do it.
Be generous with what you have.
Because years from now, somebody might not remember exactly what you gave them.
But they’ll remember that you saw them.
They’ll remember that you cared.
And they just might pass that kindness on to somebody else.
My mom probably never imagined that all those little handshakes would become one of the greatest lessons she ever taught me.
But here I am, all these years later, still talking about them.
And I’ve finally figured out something.
Mom wasn’t giving away our riches. She was showing me what made us rich.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Who has modeled generosity in your life? What did their example teach you about caring for others?
- Have you ever held back from helping someone because you felt you didn’t have enough to give?
- What’s the difference between giving to someone and genuinely noticing what they need?
- Is there someone in your church, workplace, or neighborhood who might be quietly struggling and could use encouragement?
- What do you have to offer today—money, time, attention, encouragement, or practical help—that could make a difference in someone’s life?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
Who might God be asking me to notice today, and what do I already have that I could give?
