Giving of yourself is an interesting experiment to try.
When I visit my son in San Francisco, we often dine in his neighborhood.
He has a lovely apartment in the theater district — a once cultured area dotted with trendy restaurants. It now has become a haven for the homeless, as many once desirable locations in the city have.
We pass many of these folks who approach asking for money. On every corner, someone with a sign tells their sad story.
We have learned to avoid making eye contact, hoping we’ll get by without communication.
It seems that is the way it has become in large cities nationwide.
Those of us with plenty feel the situation on the streets is way too complicated for us to solve. And too vast for us to make a difference.
Plus, if we give money, we think they may use it to buy alcohol or drugs, and then we’d be contributing to the problem.
As we sat at a table at the window of our restaurant, we wondered how we could help — in our minor way to assist at least one hungry soul.
We purchased more than we knew we could eat. When we finished, we asked for a take-out carton. We placed the untouched meal into it and gave that food to the first homeless person we saw.
The receiver had tears, thanking us and stating how hungry he was. It was the first meal he’d had in days.
Belatedly, it occurred to me why not simply order an extra meal and have it ready to go when we’ve finished our meal.
We will now make this a ritual when dining out in San Francisco.
A Challenge
Rev. Edwene Gaines, a 40-year minister with Unity Church, is one of my spiritual heroines.
I regularly receive uplifting essays and memos from her that inspire and motivate me.
Her latest missive is a challenge to stretch ourselves to give.
She encourages us to not just think of giving monetarily but spiritually, as well.
She writes:
May I challenge you to experiment with the practice of conscious giving for a period of six weeks and note what happens in your life? And I am not just speaking of giving money, but also the generous giving of smiles, kindness, compliments, praise, encouragement, time, appreciation, love, and all the many ways we can give to make this a happier life for others.
When we take the time and use our talent, skills, and energy to lift the spirit of one soul, we change the whole world and make it a more loving and productive space for all creatures.
Gosh, doesn’t this seem like something we should be doing every day anyway? How have we let simple kindness slip away?
Are we that busy? I think not. And it won’t cost us a dime.
I try to do my best to be kind to others, to smile at strangers with whom I’m in contact.
However, I see this challenge as a way to stretch myself to give more and be better.
I plan on finding someone each day to be the recipient of an extra dose of kindness — either by leaving an extra-large tip, carrying packages for one who is having difficulty, or whatever may cross my path that day.
If I pay attention, I'm sure this person will be easy to find and a joy to give to.
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