Giving

This was on my flip calendar this morning and it reminded me of a conversation earlier in the week with an old friend.  I ran into him at the grocery store and we were catching up talking about a variety of topics.  He told me a story that I had never heard, regarding when he started into business.  He is a very successful business man.  When he started his business, he ask the Lord, "how do I make money?"  Very simply he heard, "help people."  He got started and was doing well and sat down to write his first check and asked God, "ok, where do you want me to send this" and God said, "did I say anything about money."  This man is in a profession and he said he started looking at the people who came through his door and asking himself how can I help you today, not looking at them as how much money will I make off of you today.  He gave me examples and he truly went the extra mile to help people, doing things he didn't have to do.  His business skyrocketed.....went totally out of the park.  It was more than he ever dreamed it could be.  Now as we are standing and talking, I can't tell you the number of people stopping to say hi, patting him on the back, waving and smiling from a distance.  I smiled to myself and thought you are a rich man no only in wealth but in the people who love you because you have given of yourself. 

I heard a man speak one time on giving and he said people who see an act of kindness get as much benefit (it raises their endorphins) as the person doing the act.  I believe this to be true.  Last weekend, I was at Wal-Mart and pulled into a line.  I just saw a little boy checking out and a lady was behind him and then me.  When I pulled into the line, I heard the cashier say something about needed more money.  Then I heard the little boy, kind of frantic, saying," I know I had 9 dollars I must have dropped one, I don't know what to do."  I asked, "how much does he need" and the cashier said, "97 cents."  I never have any cash but I had just had a garage sale and I had a ton of change.  I gave her 97 cents and continued to get my items onto the counter and I turned around and this little guy was standing next to me and he threw his arms around my waist and hugged me and said, "thanks lady for helping me."  I almost cried.  I told him I was so glad I was there to help him and I also told him that we all need help sometimes.  When it was my turn at the register, the cashier was grinning from ear to ear and said," I'm so glad you helped him."  I said, "it blessed me more than it did him." It actually made my day!  My youngest daughter has told me many times that she loves to give and that her motive is selfish because she knows how good it makes her feel to help someone and she gets more out of it than the receiver.

There are many ways to give but I feel this is the most important and the hardest and it is giving of yourself and your time.  I promise, I'll end with this last story.  It is about Mother Teresa, whom I greatly admire.  She was at a function and gave a speech and when she was finished a man came up to her who was very wealthy and told her he wanted to give her some money and she said no.  They talked and once again he told her he wanted to give her some money and once again she said no.  He told her he wanted to help her and what could he do.  She said, "you really want to help me" and of course he said "yes."  She said, "I want you to get up at 4 o'clock tomorrow morning and go to the streets of this city and find someone who is sitting alone on the street and love them.  Let them know that you really care about them. That's how you can help me." 

It's easy to write a check and I know there are people who need money, I'm not down playing that but there is something special about showing up for someone in need, doing something for someone that money can't buy. As Mother Teresa says, "there is a famine in this land and it is of love."

Let's go out and Love somebody this weekend!