Week 8: Chapter 7 — Giving Yourself Away

1.Voskamp describes concrete practices of self-giving — writing letters, giving to strangers, entering into others' suffering in small, uncelebrated ways — and argues that abundance comes through the accumulation of such small acts. Does that seem too small to you, or does the smallness of it actually feel manageable? Why?

2.Luke 9:23–24 says, 'Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.' Voskamp treats this as a practical, daily instruction, not just a theological statement. What does it look like to 'lose your life' on an ordinary Tuesday?

3.She is honest that self-giving can become its own form of self-protection — busyness for others as a way to avoid the inner work of being known or of resting. How do you distinguish between genuine giving and the kind of 'helping' that is really running away from yourself?