What kind of giver are you?

Do you know somebody who has bad attitude while doing good things? Someone who will do others a favor, or go the extra mile, but has a chip on their shoulder the entire time?

We are all vessels, not the boat kind, but the bucket kind, and as varied as the contents of our individual buckets may be, there are only two ways to share who we are and what we have..

We either flow over the top or leak from holes.

It’s easy to spot the difference between an over-flow-er and a leaker.

A leaker feels imposed upon as he (or she) shares time, treasure and talent. As you can imagine, the flow is restricted and the stream is often thin and focused. (Don’t you dare ask for anything outside of the scope of your original request..yikes!) It also takes a lot more effort for a co-worker, spouse or friend to tap into what they need from a leaker. A leaker wants you to clearly understand what a sacrifice it will be. Leakers often feel drained, overwhelmed and resentful.

An over-flow-er, on the other hand, has a gusher coming out and over the top of their bucket. The over-flow-er doesn’t feel drained because the giving flows from a sense of abundance, gratitude and an acknowledgement of having been on the receiving end of God’s blessings and the generosity of others.  Best of all, you don’t need to bang a hole into this bucket to get what you need, you just need to stand close and prepare to be showered with the care an over-flow-er knows you need.

The over-flower shares his plate of food with you at the restaurant; the leaker brings you a doggy bag. And while both ways may ultimately benefit the recipient, you’d better believe there’s a difference for both the giver and the receiver.