I learned a great lesson about generosity as young woman. My then-husband and I were on vacation, our first after he graduated college and we were both employed full time. It was the late 70s. We had traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia because we both loved Revolutionary War history and wanted to see one of the birthplaces of our nation.
For dinner one night, we chose Chowning’s Tavern and sat in the garden. It was so beautiful, the meal was delicious and our waiter, a student at William and Mary College, was attentive and helpful. One of my husband’s first jobs had been as a busboy for an upscale restaurant and he had always tipped as generously as he could. He had taught me that waiters shared their tips with other staff and really needed generous patrons to actually make money. The kitchen was at the back of the building and garden diners could faintly here what happened in the kitchen. We left a $10 tip and when our waiter got into the kitchen and realized the size of the tip, he was so excited, we could hear his joyous shout to all his coworkers.
Our delight in being responsible for his joy changed how I viewed tipping. Giving became its own reward for me. Being joyful about blessing others became a habit I practice as often as possible.
Then later in life, God reaffirmed what I had learned. As I grew in understanding of His Word, I realized that generosity was a quality that is rooted in God’s grace. He gave His life for me so I could be redeemed. I can think of nothing more generous. He also showed me that under most circumstances, I would never miss the difference between a so-so tip and a generous one. Since then, I normally start at 20% of the bill and often go higher. I have always included pizza delivery people in this class. I know someone who is a pizza delivery driver to add to the family income. I was shocked to realize some folks don’t understand that the delivery charge for the pizza doesn’t go to the driver. They don’t make much money and tips for delivery are what help make the job worth doing.
Indeed every service person I meet, I try to bless. I thank the grocery store clerk for working on my day off. When I do drive thru (as little as possible), my thank you for their service is warm and heartfelt. Being generous with thanks as well as with tipping makes my life better, it blesses others and I know it pleases God. If you work a service job, thank you. Next time you cross paths with a service worker, I encourage you to take time to notice them, say their name and, if a tip is in order, be generous. You will be blessed and they will benefit from your generosity.
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