How Generosity Changed My Relationship With Money

By: Emily Ballard, a Treetops supporter and Sister Circles partner

Let’s talk about money.

A conversation about money was one I didn’t like having a few years back. It brought up shame, past regrets, difficult decisions, and discontent. I worked hard on avoiding that conversation, which turns out was really easy.

Why? Because people don’t talk about money.

We don’t walk around explaining to friends that we’re on a tight budget, or that we’re not sure if at the end of the month we’re going to be able to pay all the bills. Or maybe we’re embarrassed by the amount of debt we have, or why the debt is even there in the first place. Or maybe we have an abundance of funds and feel ashamed by that since so many others are struggling.

I lived in this uncomfortable relationship with money just four years ago, and it’s taken me some time to recognize that talking about money isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually something that ties us all together, no matter the amount you have to your name.

Think about this: with our closest friends we talk about marriage, friendship, kids, family, work, and faith. All things that shape our lives. All things that are so important that we carve out time to think about them, discuss them with others, and nourish them. We do this because these things make our life full, abundant, and joyful.

What if money could make our life full, abundant, and joyful, too? And I’m not talking about having more, but giving more.

Money gives us the opportunity to be generous. Deep down we all know the beauty of generosity, and how it dramatically changes communities, families, and hearts. What if we stopped hoarding our money, stopped keeping it for ourselves, and started to give more abundantly to the things we cared about?

My bet is that we would all be more filled with joy, and the community receiving your generosity would be, too.

I’m a product of giving to Treetops Collective. A product might sound strange, but I truly believe through giving my money and my time, my heart has changed.

I give to Treetops because deep down, I know what it feels like to uproot yourself in a community and move to a place unknown to you, as much as you are unknown to it. I give to Treetops because I align missionally with the way this team engulfs the concept of welcoming.

My giving to Treetops has opened my heart to a new community, and it has been such a joy-filled relationship.

Let’s be a community that recognizes the impact money can have, not just on ourselves, but on the people around us. Let’s be generous together so that we can be joyful together, too.

You can connect with other generous members of this Collective at Cocktails for the Collective on May 29. You can also join this dedicated community of supporters by becoming a monthly donor or by making a one time gift.