One Tiny Pebble? One Big Impact!
Have you ever spent time at a pond, dropping in one pebble after another? There is something mesmerizing about watching how a small rock can hit the water and have such a wide-reaching impact, right?
Well, just like a tiny pebble can spread ripples across the entire surface of a pond, one tiny pebble of generosity can keep going…and going…and going. The generosity ripple effect is something that can continue for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. Ripples of kindness spread with every smile and encouraging word shared.
Making Waves
Did you know the ripple from a pebble tossed in the water is actually caused by energy being transferred between water molecules? The energy causes the water molecules to move up and down, creating waves. And even crazier, the shape of the ripples echoes the shape of the object thrown into the water. A straight stick plopped in a puddle causes straight waves. A round pebble thrown in a lake causes round waves.
At I Like Giving, we like to think that a tiny pebble of generosity creates generosity-shaped waves. Waves of hope. Waves of help. Waves of friendship.
Sometimes, when you are living generously, you may not realize who those waves of joy are reaching or how many people your generous life will touch. Just ask Agnes.
Meet Agnes - A Wave Maker
When Agnes was little, she learned about generosity from her mom. Her dad passed away when she was eight, but her mom still felt it was important to share what they had with others. She would often invite those who were poor over for dinner.
When Agnes asked why she did that, her mom said, “Some of them are our relations but all of them are our people.” Agnes followed her lead. She started making her own waves while she was a tween.
At the age of 12, Agnes committed her life to helping others. She left home at 16, determined to become a missionary. She trained in Ireland and eventually moved to India to be a school principal. Life wasn’t easy for Agnes, but her passion for sharing her life with others kept moving her forward.
At the age of 33, Agnes took living generously a step further. She felt called to help those who couldn’t help themselves. She dedicated her life to caring for the unloved - those dying in the streets of Calcutta.
Agnes launched the Missionaries of Charity with a few dedicated members. That small crew of women began to care for folks with only moments left to live, giving them a bed to sleep in, words of love and comfort to soothe them, and nourishment for body and spirit in their last moments. Agnes never looked back.
Over the next five decades, Agnes, aka Mother Teresa, caused even more waves. The Missionaries of Charity opened schools, orphanages, hospitals, hospices, homes for unwed moms, centers for AIDS, and leper homes. By the time she passed away at the age of 87, her small band of generosity warriors had grown to 4,000 members.
Ripple upon ripple. Wave upon wave. Her mom’s generous lesson had taken hold: Agnes spent her life generously - taking care of her people. And her life continues to cause ripple effects around the world.
Generosity and You
You may be thinking, Hey, I’m no Mother Teresa. I don’t live anywhere near India. That’s ok! The amazing thing is that no matter where you live, you can toss that generosity pebble into the pond of life. You can take care of your people. You can see those molecules of goodness bounce off each other.
When you get generous, you can watch the ripple effect in the lives of those around you. Wave after wave. Ripple after ripple. Just like Agnes.
And don’t let the ripples stop with you! Here at I Like Giving, we are all about raising up life-long givers. Expect your children to be inspired by your generous life - they’ll want in on the action!
With stories like Agnes’s and more, Generous Families takes students on a Giving Road Trip. Our Generous Students: Homeschool Edition Program teaches your children about generosity and the power of the ripple effect at work in their own lives.
Students of all ages learn about The 7 Ways of Living Generously!
Your children will find out how to start countless ripple effects of change in their own lives and communities. Learn more about the transformational 26-week program and create generational impact through the generosity ripple effect.
Members of Medi-Share can receive $20 off the cost of the program using the code MEDISHARE20 at checkout.
Join our Generous Families! Learn more at generousfamily.com.
By: Generous Family® - Helping families create a legacy worth living. Generous Family® is an initiative of I Like Giving®.
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