Giving Means More Than Merely Financial Reward

It does seem that every time we turn around, someone is asking us to give. What they normally mean by that is that they want us to give a donation. After all, fundraisers do help charities, organizations and causes of all kinds.

Money buys food and supplies for people who have just been struck by a natural disaster. Money pays for operations and medical supplies for people who need medical attention. Money builds homes, schools, roads and utilities for people who live in impoverished countries or areas.

Money is important. This world just does not work without it. So, that is not the discussion. But, what can people do who don't have money to give?

You would be surprised by what difference the smallest gift can make. Those gifts come in so many forms that there is literally no end to how much you can give even when you don't have any money to do it with.

Volunteering is the obvious first option in this discussion. But while there are people who are volunteering for major causes throughout this world, giving a little of your time locally is equally important. Take some time to read a book to some elementary school children. Likewise, offer your time to tutor secondary students. Our education system can really use the help volunteers can offer.

But more than that, there are plenty of causes that never get off the ground because there just aren't enough people to make them happen. I have witnessed a food bank stay closed because there weren't any people to keep the doors open. The food was locked inside the basement of a church and people stood outside hungry. If you have ever felt the need to give, you could have opened that door and that's all it would have taken to feed those people in need.

For causes to get off the ground, of course there has to be a person who will put forth a vision. Once the vision is in place though, there is no amount of people that would be too much to make it work. Phone calls need to be made. Footwork needs to be done. All plans are different, but they have one thing that stays the same. A plan for a cause is like the three-headed dragon, only in a good way. For every person who volunteers, it's almost as if three times the work gets accomplished.

One winter, during the holiday season, I witnessed a great thing about a man who was in the military. He was not enjoying the holidays because he was so far away from his family. But one day while he was watching television, he noticed in the news that there was a cause for the homeless taking place downtown San Diego, California.

They were collecting blankets, clothing and food. They had showers setup in heated tents and they were even giving the homeless cots where they could sleep that night. As the man in the military watched the news, he realized he didn't own a blanket of his own at the time. He didn't have extra clothing that he could give away. But, he did have something. He had himself.

He went to the Civic Center where they were hosting this cause for the homeless. He asked the workers if there was anything he could do. They didn't even hesitate. There was more than enough for him to do. For one man who couldn't give money, a blanket or even clothes, he gave what he had and it made his holiday season. He had something to feel somewhat happy about.

Giving is its own reward. Giving has a dynamic to it that is simply ironic. The more you give, the more you gain. It's hard for some people to understand. But when you give of yourself, it comes back to you in so many ways. The more people who learn this wisdom, the better off this world will be.