A couple invited us for their wedding. We couldn't attend because it was overseas and we didn't intend to go there specifically for the wedding.I prayed, "eventhough we don't attend, should we give some "hongbao" (money in Red envelope)?"
I felt in my heart to give. So I communicated with Mark & he agreed.
We gave...
As a sign of courtesy, which is also part of the culture, when someone gives hongbao for a wedding, he/she will get a token of acknowledgment, normally in the form of souvenir/bomboniere. So, eventhough he/she can't attend but gives hongbao, he/she will at least get that acknowledgment.
1 month had passed...I wondered, where that souvenir was. Could it be that they forgot the gift? Or the person that passed the hongbao forgot to get us the souvenir?
Almost 2 months had passed...I thought "It's so annoying...even if there's no souvenir...not even a word "thank you" ever mentioned whenever I met that couple."
It bugged me...it wasn't the souvenir that I expected, but the acknowledgment. I was so curious. What had happened?? Mark also felt the same. I cross-checked with another couple that gave too. The same story went with them.
That morning, God spoke to me. His voice was so tender yet strong. He asked me "Do you want to learn something from this?" Then he opened a simple truth yet it impressed my heart.
When you give, don't expect a reward back. Just like the love of Jesus (Agape: love that doesn't expect something in return). He gave his life for men's sins yet people don't even realise or reject him. He reminded me of this verse.
1 month had passed...I wondered, where that souvenir was. Could it be that they forgot the gift? Or the person that passed the hongbao forgot to get us the souvenir?
Almost 2 months had passed...I thought "It's so annoying...even if there's no souvenir...not even a word "thank you" ever mentioned whenever I met that couple."
It bugged me...it wasn't the souvenir that I expected, but the acknowledgment. I was so curious. What had happened?? Mark also felt the same. I cross-checked with another couple that gave too. The same story went with them.
That morning, God spoke to me. His voice was so tender yet strong. He asked me "Do you want to learn something from this?" Then he opened a simple truth yet it impressed my heart.
When you give, don't expect a reward back. Just like the love of Jesus (Agape: love that doesn't expect something in return). He gave his life for men's sins yet people don't even realise or reject him. He reminded me of this verse.
Matthew 6: 2-4
"(2) So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (4) so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Well..not that because that couple was needy. But the point was God would reward us for our giving. It was even better in this case because it seemed that they didn't even realise that we gave.
So now I learn that when we give, we should let it go. Don't even get offended if the person doesn't say thank you to us.
So now I learn that when we give, we should let it go. Don't even get offended if the person doesn't say thank you to us.
I totally agree with you Tas, sometimes as human, we need some sort of acknowledgement for what we did. And it's very true that we shouldn't expect reward when we give to people, when we give, we just give! Dont even bother to mention it to public, the most important thing is God acknowledge you! :)
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