how do you share yourself ie; time talent and treasure?

[martha]

Recently I saw a show about people who didn't have even the basic necessities of life.I felt very guilty when I raised my fork to my mouth with a bounty of food on my plate. It gave me pause the next day at work. I reached into my pocket and pulled out $ 1.50 to go to the vending machine for a soda and a bag of chips. Suddenly it occurred to me that there are really people in this world who wake up and have no food. Have you ever fasted for one day? They live in little shacks with no running water, no electricity and no bathroom. Most of us are so blessed with conveniences that we sometimes forget that "There but for the grace of God go I", or for some, just luck that we were born into our present circumstance.
I decided that morning to make a concerted effort on behalf of those less fortunate than me. So now every time I want to reach into my pocket and go to the vending machine I remember how truly blessed I am. I take the $1.50 for my treat but then I take an additional $1.50 and put it in a can by my desk. This money is specifically earmarked for charity. One of my co-workers is a marathon runner for charities. When she runs, I donate money from my "snack can". There is another co-worker who is a single mother of an eleven year old boy. She has been diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis isn't good. So I took some money from the can to share with her when there was a collection for her. It isn't really very much, but I believe it can help in some little way. I have soooo much, even though I am lower middle income person, making only about $23,000 a year. I find it amazing that I can save so much just by matching my snack money. Sometimes we don't realize how much we have 'til we break it down. Do we really need to buy that beer, or wine or bag of chips, or expensive jeans or shoes? Couldn't we match that cost every time we want to buy something frivolous? If we stopped for a moment to truly understand what goes on in this world, and would realize how fortunate we really are, I don't think it would be hard to give. This is one way I share my treasure.
I share my time by being helpful to others even when they don't know it is me. I will go out early in the morning to shovel snow from an elderly neighbors walkway. I will pick up their garbage can that is rolling in the street after the garbage man has passed. I pick up the newspapers for my elderly neighbors who aren't so stable on their "pins" anymore, when I am walking my dog in the morning and throw them up on their porch, so they don't have to go down the steps. I will put twenty dollars or so in an envelope and find a way to leave it annonamosly on the counter at the drug store. I usually put a note to the head pharmacist in it saying that ,who better than him to know who might need help with their prescription bill this month. I leave it to them to decide who needs it most this time. I put money in two cards in envelopes and then leave them in two pews at church. On the outside of the envelope I usually write the following, " This is for you! Yes you, open it up and be pleasantly surprised. No this is not candid camera!" Inside I try to find inspiring words to write like "I've always loved your smile, and you are precious to me. Love God"
I share my talent of being a good reader by being a lector,(reader of the word) at my church. I volunteer when I am needed. I am a very good listener, so I take the time to listen to people even if I don't agree with them. We all need to be heard. I have a talent for finding something humorous in every situation, and I share that of myself.
What things do you share of yourself. I can hardly wait to hear you responses, for perhaps you will inspire me to a better way of giving of myself.

Thank you beloved for indulging my long winded post.

Joyfully in Jesus,
Martha

 

[SoulTYPE]

I help others in many ways. If someone is out of money and they are desperate, I may give them 10 or 20 dollars without repayment. If somebody needs a favour, generally I will do it.It all depends,perhaps I offer someone to talk to or ask for advice. I value other people's help, so we must
treat others how we want to be treated

Hi Martha

 

[martha]

Amen to that beloved Soultype. Blessings to you.

Joyfully,
Martha

 

[mrscardero]

I treat others with respect. Whether they want to return it or not, that's their choice. My choise is, to respect all around you. I grew up most my life in a poor country where we didn't have a toilet that flushed or even toilet paper. We didn't have a washer and dryer to do our clothes. At the age of 5, I was by the river scrubbing my clothes until they are clean. We didn't have showers so we were put in a metal barrel and that's how we bathed. But even when I lived in that country, my family always got together twice a week to make a big meal. We would make rice and some kind of meat that would go with the rice. Then we would place them in plastic bags and go house to house and give other families food. If we notice that they have more people in the family, we would double. We got to know all the families that they decided to come and help. My family would prepare all the meals outside so that it was almost like a festival. Now that I am here, I do the best I can. I try to help out others. I give all I can that I forget about me. I have always known to care or be there for others. That's why I love my job. I make sure that they are well fed, they have a place to feel like home since they have no place else they can call home. They have a family Holiday get together with me and the rest of the staff. I make sure that they have presents when they get up on X-mas day. I make sure that I have the time to listen even though I have a lot of things to do and end up taking my paper work home. I would go to work just to take them out on outings or doctors appointments. I would go to work on my days off to go food shopping for 12 people just to make sure that they have food in the house. carrdero always tells me that I drop everything to run in the aid of others.

That's me.

 

[anders]

Recently I saw a show about people who didn't have even the basic necessities of life.I felt very guilty when I raised my fork to my mouth with a bounty of food on my plate.

There are so many millions who are worse off than me. I don't help them by denying me what I want/need.

One of my co-workers is a marathon runner for charities.

This must be a US thing. I can't imagine how running a marathon would generate any money except to the organizers who get the starting fees from the runners.

Do we really need to buy that beer, or wine or bag of chips, or expensive jeans or shoes?

I don't need the wine and beer I buy, but I don't like drinking just water with my meals, and nobody gets any poorer from my spending a part of my pension on those fluids. And I very seldom buy any clothes. With one exception, what I have bought during the last two years was a pair of trousers at some USD 15.

I will go out early in the morning to shovel snow from an elderly neighbors walkway.

I sometimes do, and they will of course know who did it. I also walk any neighbour dogs when needed, and look after the neighbours' plants and empty their letterboxes or whatever when they are away for holidays. That's very selfish of me, of course, because I feel good when doing it.

I will pick up their garbage can that is rolling in the street after the garbage man has passed. I pick up the newspapers for my elderly neighbors ... and throw them up on their porch, so they don't have to go down the steps.

Garbage cans not applicable; we use paper bags. Newspaper problem not applicable; they are delivered in the letterbox like mail.

I will put twenty dollars or so in an envelope and find a way to leave it annonamosly on the counter at the drug store. I usually put a note to the head pharmacist in it saying that ,who better than him to know who might need help with their prescription bill this month. I leave it to them to decide who needs it most this time.

I pay my taxes (there is even no way avoiding it, as it is deducted from my pension before I receive it). The way Sweden's health service works, utilizing my tax money, nobody should have any problems with the costs for medicine.

I can't compare the church items, because I'll exit the Church of Sweden as soon as I get the energy to send in the required form. I will probably save a couple of hundred dollars per year, not having to pay the church tax, but that's not the reason. I don't want to contribute in any way to something I don't believe in. But I help people when I can and find it appropriate. I would never give a dime to a begging person, in the unlikely event that I would encounter one, as it would probably be just outside a liquor store.

On the other hand, all in our family (my mother, my two sisters and their husbands and children) almost compete at helping one another. Every Friday morning I drive my mother (and a neighbour lady, almost my mother's age) to a supermarket and we do our weekly shopping. My nieces and sisters see to that my mother's laundry and cleaning are taken care of (mother is 88), and me and my nephews handle any technical/mechanical issues for her, unlesss my sisters beat us to it. Paying one-half or more of our earnings in taxes, I feel that we do at least what 's required of us in caring for our fellow citizens. It is up to the government to see that the money is used appropriately.

"Charity begins at home", and I don't find it necessary to extend it beyond the circle of people I know and the cases I know deserve help. I almost never give money to any of the very few charities there are in Sweden. The only case I remember during the last quite a few years is a modest donation to a radio station run by exiled Iranians.

 

[Circle_One]

I was taught at a young age to always help those in need, should the chance arise. My mother used to bring me to soup kitchens to help out when I was a pre-teen and well into my teenage years.

Every christmas, I put away money for what I need to spend on presents and whatever is left over I mail into the christmas fund they have at our local newspaper every year. My mother and I make food baskets for 2 or 3 needy families every year. There has been one young family that we have helped out constantly for the past 4 years, a young single mother with a 7 year old boy, that we buy christmas presents, little things for easter, and birthday presents for every year.

Aside from that, and a little off the less-fortunate people topic, I also volunteer at the local animal shelter once a week and have been for the last 8 years, cleaning cages, walking the dogs, feeding the animals and working with the stray cats who are a little more agressive to try and rehabilitate them so that perhaps they may be adopted again, rather than put to sleep.