Sammy Frame did a wonderful job today at PCC. He took on a tough subject....time & money...and "giving" it away....to people we don't know and we not knowing exactly what they would do with the money....
Like Sammy said, we all have excuses...and we have all used them. He spoke the truth about wanting to not make eye contact with them and even taking different routes to avoid them. I admit, I do not just hand money out of the window to people on the street. I have gone and bought lunch and brought that to them......Martin and I sponsor a child in Compassion International and Invisible Children. We tithe.
But is there more we can do? YES. Is there more most all of us can do? YES
It's not always money either. It is a gift we can give of time.....to others that can help: Food Pantry, Free Clinic, Salvation Army.....lots of places we don't have to give money too....but volunteer hours. You still make a difference. You meet some wonderful people. My friend Cammie and I spent a day during Christmas break helping put the free meals together for homeless shelters. It was a long day...but rewarding.
So yes, time is a gift we call can give. If you claim you have no time (not due to volunteering but of other non-giving to others activities) then start changing some things in your life to say yes to others in need. Make it a family activity....show your children how you can help others. Teach you children to help others by showing them how to do it......and you get to spend quality time with your family! It can be done. I am looking forward to doing more for others via volunteer work!!! Our finances are getting cut since I am not going back to work.....so we have to find another way to help out. We will still sponsor Carlos (Compassion child) and Invisible Children and tithe...but we will not be able to write checks out so easily as we have done in the past when other situations pop up. So, we find another way to help.
Now, after saying that, and knowing MOST of us can't just write a check every time we want to help someone.....I will get really real.
Money.
It runs the world.
And yes, I wish I could write the love runs the world....as it should...but it doesn't.
These thoughts come to me as Martin and I watch a golf tournament on television that just gave the "winner" like $500,000 for playing a game. And now we are watching a professional baseball game where each player averages like multimillion dollar contracts. And you know I could go on and on....bonuses for making it to the playoffs and signing bonuses for just writing their name on a contract.....really?? I will sign anything if you pay we 3 million to write my name!!!
And then you watch the news about professional leagues striking because they want raises and will not play the game without more money or Hollywood superstars telling their producers they want a million dollars an episode....UGH!!!!!!!!!! It really gets me going.
Now, do I know what these people do with their money? No. Maybe they do give some to charities or sponsor children.....but I will say this........its not enough. I really think we would see less poverty or homelessness or less diseases (you get my drift) if these people did donate more to others in need. Or at least it would be advertised to us that they made a huge donation....I mean, get the publicity from it at least...(total sarcasm). And maybe they do, I don't know. But I think it would be more obvious.
So, we are all called to serve somewhere......if we chose to listen, we will eventually figure out where and how. Some feel called to service in foreign countries, some to help the sick, etc. etc.
I have felt called to help out in my community. I think I feel this way because of all the compassion I was shown when Robbie died. Powhatan County has a huge heart and can be very compassionate. I want to give back to those in my community that need help. Many people do not realize that we have lots of families that can't buy food or pay a heating bill. I think of the children who get free meals at school during school............what do they do in the summer?
So, I choose to help here.
Where do you choose to answer your calling?
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