Give and thou shalt receive
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Volunteers distribute holiday food boxes to 400 recipients in a drive thru line on Saturday. An addition 100 boxes were made to be distributed to those or other agencies in need.
If you opened all your Christmas presents this week, and are a bit miffed about what you didn’t get, it may be that you didn’t give enough. “If you want to receive, you have to give. This is not a marketplace rule. This is the way of life.”
— Sadhguru This quote, from the writings of the Indian guru who calls himself Sadhguru, restates the conundrum that the more one gives, the more one can receive, and there are many others who say the same thing.
Such as this, from Luke 6:38, quoting the words of Jesus: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
And from Proverbs 11:24-25: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
And this also from Proverbs, Chapter 28, Verse 27: “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. “
This is from Paul’s Second letter to the Corinthians: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
In the pages of The Madera Tribune over the last few weeks, we have seen Maderans giving out food and other necessities to those in need.
What kindness that reflects! What generosity! Most of those who were giving weren’t much better off than those who were receiving. Yet, the warm feelings in their hearts were worth the effort.
Most of those people who were giving, or acting on behalf of a giver, were following the precepts of these passages of wisdom, from a modern guru and from prophets of long ago.
And they probably would tell you that their lives are happier for that effort.
The days of Christmas giving are pretty much past now, but it isn’t too late to help yourself by becoming a more generous giver.
You can give all year long. You don’t have to give huge sums — most of us don’t have huge sums.
But try this, which was recommended to me by someone who is a very generous giver: keep a few dollar bills in a paper clip in one of your pockets, and when you see someone in need, pull out that little stash of greenbacks and peel off one or two. If you make a budget for giving, and keep the money on hand for just such a purpose, it will not hurt you, and you may even be the better off for it.
