Last week, we shared with you part 1 of Tim Connor’s story of being generous by donating a kidney to a complete stranger. This week will wrap up his story and in case you missed it, you can either click here to watch the video or click here to read last week’s post.
Well Tim came through his operation with flying colors as did his recipient. Within 24-hours Tim was able to leave the hospital, but not before sharing the Gospel with some of his nurses.
“When I was coming out of the drugs, I asked all the nurses if they knew Jesus. One of them said no and I started bawling, crying out for her soul. I lit into this lady! And the next day, I kind of apologized to her, but also said I was serious in asking that question. We got to have a more coherent conversation. See that’s the thing, you just be obedient to what God is calling you to do.”
Like he said last week, Tim believes that part of this story has nothing to do with donating a kidney, but pointing back to the Gospel. Being obedient in what God calls us to whether it’s sharing the Gospel, donating a kidney or whatever that looks like personally for you, leads us to live generous lives.
“I don’t quite know how to put this, but it feels like for me this kidney donation is less about a generous act of giving someone a kidney, but it is more about obedience for me. It is clearly something God has called me to do. I am just doing what He says to do and leaving the rest of it up to Him.”
A lot of times people think generosity, even that term, has to do with the size of the gift. Tim has learned in his line of work that it has nothing to do with the size of the gift. “I can’t give anything bigger, unless I die. Yet, it’s just about obedience. My mind immediately goes to 2 Corinthians 9:11 where our generosity is used to bring people to Christ.”
“Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God,” 2 Corinthians 9:11.
When we read this verse, we may think of being richer in terms of monetary wealth, but Tim says that it’s much more than that.
“One question people have asked is what if my kidney doesn’t work for this lady then you just wasted the kidney. It doesn’t even matter. So many times when we give money, we think ‘let’s go evaluate whether they are going to use it right or use it well’ and I am not saying that you shouldn’t do that, but if God’s telling you to be obedient, then stick with the obedience part and leave the results up to Him. And let God use how He is going to use it.”
“I have been actually given two healthy kidneys and I am richer in that sense than my neighbor who doesn’t have two of them and needs one. It’s not just about the material things.”
That is the movement of Generosity Tyler: that Christians would be engaged in this community in such a generous way that others would be shocked and amazed. It would have nothing to do with the size of the gift, but everything to do with our relationship with the Lord. And people are drawn to Him because of that.
“I used to think stewardship was the act of generosity, but really stewardship is about taking care of what you have so you can give it. Then the giving it turns into generosity. That is a different kind of giving story than I am a philanthropist who just gives money. In a way it’s part of giving yourself and sharing your relationship with the Lord with the entire community,” said Tim.
When Tim took the job at Grace in development, it was often described to him as ‘you take people out for lunch and ask them for money.’
“Development is not just about philanthropy but living out of generosity. Grace Community School has a mission that is simplified into two words, teaching Jesus. I started asking how we live that out in non-profit development work and the reality is I became convicted about the difference between philanthropy for the good of man and generosity which has a whole lot more to do with your relationship with the Lord and our response to his generous act of giving us his son to restore all mankind.”
Those are two very different motivators and so Tim started asking questions which drove him back to the Word.
What does the Bible say about this?
How does a non-profit raise funds if everything looks like the processes and systems that the world uses?
“My favorite development conversations are when I am able to connect the relationship to Jesus Christ to the stuff that we have. Previously I would look at stuff as my money, income or the things that I purchase with those funds. From a development standpoint it’s about shepherding and creating a culture of generosity that starts with and is connected to a steward or donor’s hold on what God has given them,” Tim said.
Even though the surgery has happened, and Tim and his recipient are both healthy and well; the story isn’t over.
“This isn’t the end or the culmination once I donated the kidney. Even when I agreed to give a kidney, I found myself struggling to pay for the next guy’s coffee. So why am I still stingy? Generosity is not a one-time act; it’s a lifestyle. It’s a journey and we have not yet arrived. Your relationship with the Lord is more important than the stuff you have and listening to him as he redirects you. It’s about obedience and our response to Him. The battle over $10 may be greater than giving a kidney, but this journey doesn’t start or end with a kidney.”
So where does your journey start? Maybe you need some resources to get you on the right track. Some of our favorite partners in generosity are Generous Giving and Women Doing Well, but we are here to educate, encourage and inspire you in your generosity journey, so be watching for additional opportunities through Generosity Tyler.