The Heart of Giving

Hi there! I am so grateful that you are here and I hope this brings some new ideas into your life. Please be sure to check out our other blog posts and let’s get into it!

Before you get into this piece, what is your relationship with giving? What are your thoughts on giving? Maybe talk to someone about this or write down your ideas and then get into the rest of this post!

Now that you have your own ideas of giving we can get into what it is and some different ways to give. What is giving? According to dictionary.com giving means to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation. Many people have these intentions and are able to positively influence the lives of others. Whether it is food, clothing, time, money or maybe even a hug, all of these things are gifts which quite frankly have no price tag.

This is a big season for giving and maybe you donated to a local shelter. You may have had some coats around your home or possibly went out to purchase something for donation. Either way, your intention to donate these items was to give them without getting anything in return.

For shelters and charities this season of giving is really important and allows them to support many people throughout the year. Another season of giving is celebrated as "Christmas in July" to remind people of giving throughout the year. One thing about homelessness is that it exists all year round, not just during the cold months. Giving all year may be hard for some families who seem “well off”, but that is why all gifts are so important. It does not matter how big a donation is., even a simple hug can go a long way. The past few years my neighbor had been going through chemotherapy and numerous surgeries to fight off pancreatic cancer. We typically talked to him maybe a few times a week and one night I asked him if he wanted a hug. He lived alone and was going through this tough time by himself. The second my family and I gave him a hug, he literally melted and I could tell he was in a lot of pain, but hopefully feeling loved thereafter. When I’m having an off day and someone asks me if I need a hug, it makes my day. With all of this said, the seemingly small gifts quite truthfully make such a big difference. Maybe it’s a hug or just a simple conversation, these small gifts can mean the world to someone else.

Giving comes in many forms and all can change someone else’s life in a major way. The Bible talks about giving to those in need as it says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” Proverbs 14:31. In our giving we can help others and honor God at the same time! The love of God is spread through many things and helping those who are in need is just one way that God’s love can be spread.

In all the ways we can give there are just as many if not more influences that we will have on others. I hope that you may take something from this post and put it into your daily lives. Please feel free to reach out if you found this beneficial or would like to add anything else. As always, thank you so much for being here and have a great day!