Faith and Family

Am I Charitable?  What is charity anyway?

As I continue to follow this path of divvying my funds the way that God calls me, I find there is an urge to learn not only more about budgeting, but about how others see their resources.  What do I take for granted?  This can be an uncomfortable state of awareness in many ways.  As I am introduced to and reminded of the different ways that charity can present itself, I am also compelled to not only take note of my own lack of taking advantage of moments to be charitable, but to also take note of the town, neighborhood, peer base, and world I live in.  It means taking a moment to listen, acknowledge, and recognize my part when encountering those who would benefit from a charitable person.  This can happen daily!  Overwhelming when considering all the opportunities that present themselves in daily routines and interactions.  These opportunities we often train ourselves to be blind to-why?  My own realization is that embracing those moments may lead me to feel that I can not meet someone's needs, may ask me to give up something I cherish, or to look at myself in a different context.  

I have recently began reading the book Thrift Shop Saints by Jane Knuth.  One particular chapter has caught my attention an it illustrates the three common ways that charity often presents itself in our society.

1) We have extra resources, or specifically something we do not want or need and it makes us feel better to find someone who could use it rather than throw it away.

2) We have the means to provide a need for someone.  We either donate habitually in the form of goods or money or do so when the opportunity presents itself.

3) We have something we need (or thought we needed).  It is our only one.  We come into contact with someone who needs it to, and give it to them.  They now have what they needed.  

I have a pretty strong feeling that the third option is what God would define and recognize as Charity.  I have a long way to go.  How about you?

Would It Have Been Better....?

This week as I prepared to move in with my Husband in less than a month--I began sorting.  Sorting for me involves a pile that is designated for Trash, a pile that is designated for Donating, and a pile that is designated for Selling.  As I finished my closet-and only my closet-my bag count totaled to this: Trash: 3  Donate: 4   Sell: 2.   HMMMM.  It appears that the items I buy are not worth very much to me.  This got me thinking.  At first I was pleased that earthly possessions did not mean a whole lot to me.  In my moving process, it didn't bother me to have to let go or separate from items.  Then, I began to realize that I had spend the money God gave me on worthless things.  SIGH....
What would those bags have totaled up to originally?  Would it have paid off a debt?  Would it have been better used to give it to someone who needed it-after all, in the end I was just giving it away anyway?

My future husband gave me the New Testament on CD, so that I could listen to it on my long trips.  It just so happened that I came across a scripture that mirrored my thoughts well - Luke 12:18 (NIV).

18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I will say to myself, " You have plenty of grain laid up for many years.  Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry."' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'