“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.”
― Albert Einstein
On my way back from spring break, my friend was telling me something that happened to him. He was getting ice cream with a friend and wanted to pay for it with cash since it was under two dollars. When he checked his wallet he only had one, so he just paid with his card. A little bit later he and his friend were talking and a homeless guy came to them and asked if they had any money – he needed $1.75 to ride the bus. My friend said he only had a dollar, but was willing to give it to him and went to get it. When he got out his wallet he pulled out two dollars, so the guy had enough to ride the bus. My friend sad he didn't think much about it until later when he remembered looking for a second dollar to pay for the ice-cream. This is not a huge deal, or a super miracle or anything truly life too changing for anyone involved, but as he told me this story I thought about it, I did not say anything for a few minutes. Then I thought, sometimes we just need to be willing.
My friend thought he didn’t have enough to give him, but he was willing to give what he did have and the rest was provided. This just made me think, sometimes when we are trying to give we worry that it will not be enough. Whether it is your time, money, or maybe even yourself. You don't have to be able to give everything someone needs, just be willing to give what you can and God will do what he needs to with it. Sometimes when I think about giving something, I don't do it because I think I do not have enough, it won't help, or I am not ready for something. Sometimes I won’t give because it will affect what I can do. Mark’s Gospel reads, “He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’”
Jesus did not care about the people giving the large amounts because they had extra money to give, but he praised the women who gave the money she did not have. She was willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of her faith. She knew she didn't have that much to give, she knew it wasn't enough to help, but she gave it anyway. She was willing. Jesus can work with what we have to give, and long as we give. My friend only gave two dollars, that is not a lot of money. It would not help me very much. And I do not know what this man needed to ride the bus for, maybe it was to get back to his family, maybe it was to get to a shelter. Whatever the reason it meant a lot to him.
“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. & great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. & even loved in spite of ourselves.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
I do not know much about Victor Hugo, but I think this quote says a lot. If we truly love someone you have to be willing to sacrifice something for them. Maybe all you have is a little to give, but give out of love and it will be more than anyone could ever expect. When you do give whether it’s a lot or a little, do it out of love. If you are giving to a homeless person ask for their name, ask if you can pray for them. Everything you do should be done out of love. 1 Corinthians 13 says:
“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”
It comes down to love. So, start loving and never stop.
Love until it hurts, then keep going.
Well, these are just my thoughts…
Go with God.
Also, if you have something to say, good or bad please tell me.
