Giving

I heard a couple of interesting points and a story this weekend about giving and wanted to share it with everyone, especially as it got me thinking.


On Friday evening I was helping set up as much as possible for a craft fair that I organise. My Aunt, who was there helping, and I are started arguing, very poorly over money. My Aunt doesn't work, she suffers from a multitude of aliments, so the craft fairs she does makes her money, especially little bit before Christmas. I decided to not charge two friends for the use of a table, mainly they hadn't done many craft fairs and they had driven a distance to do it. My Aunt saw this as weakness, I saw her argument as greed. So, Saturday comes and my Aunt in other ways demonstrates a greedy side, that I'll be honest I didn't like. She even commented on the way I was "changing the prices of things" as bad business sense....mmmm, I didn't care, I wasn't there to make my millions I was there to share what I had done, through craft and where I can give others enjoyment.

That evening I was bothered by the whole event, I helped organise these craft fairs so we both could earn a bit of extra cash before Christmas, maybe if I had listened to her I would have a little bit extra. I prayed about it.


I was pleased then when I went to Bobbing Church on Sunday to hear Sue say that the days talk was about giving and the ways of giving.
Sue, our Curate, started off with a quote from Mother Teresa "Giving is not giving if you don't need it"

Really?

I was under the impression that Giving was still ultimately giving, but the more I thought about it the more it settled in me.

I have been reading a book by John Grisham called the Street Lawyer, in the story a wealthy Lawyer and friends are kept hostage by a homeless man. In the story you find that the homeless man is only doing it to get the hostages to have a better view on their giving. Most of the hostages were earning $300,000. or more a year. And although some were giving to charities that realistically a combined donation was only every given from the amount $2,000. The point was made, did these wealthy lawyers give a fair representation of their salary to the needy, no they didn't. They had far more than they ever needed.

I give a set amount to charities and churches. Probably not the biblical 10% but I give what I can, when I have it. I give my time to and help in what ever ways possible, this last bit is usually when I get the most enjoyment from the giving. As usually I know that i am giving my time to be helpful. So, although not financially 10% I would say there would be more.

Whilst trying to find the Mother Teresa quote I found a few more of hers that i though I would throw in, especially after the last paragraph about giving with enjoyment. “The person who gives with a smile is the best giver because God loves a cheerful giver.”

Sue also told a story on Sunday that brought tears to my eyes and distracted me just enough from getting up in time to start playing for sung worship, so I thought I would end on that story and a final Mother Teresa quote.

There was a little boy trying to sell newspapers in the rain, cold and wet and seeing the church open its doors the little boy decided that he would go in for a short while, trying his best to a least get some warmth and to dry out. The boy sat with his wet papers and listened to the priest giving the talk about Jesus and how much He loves us; with the priest really hitting home that the congregation needed to give more to Jesus. During the sung worship the collection plate was being passed around, but as the boy hadn't sold any papers he had nothing to give. At the end of the service, with the little boy now feeling the spirit of God touching him, and wanting to give, went up to the priest. The little boy grabbed the collection plate and put it on the floor, with a foot at a time he then stepped in. The priest turned and said "what do you think you are doing?" the little boy replied " I havn't got any money and even my newspapers are ruined by the rain, but I want to give something to the church, to God, so I give you myself, everything I am"

Sometimes, giving isn't just giving money or helping people, although this is a wonderful thing to do, but sometimes, giving is completely giving everything you can.

The last quote for you to think about from Mother Teresa:

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.