Giving
I was reading a blog a few months ago day and the author posted a bunch of information on his blog, (Clark Draney)and the title was, “100 Things I Have or Have Not Done”. I liked the list, so I posted the list on my personal blog and answered the questions. One particular one made me pause. The question was, “Have you given more than you can afford to charity”.
Immediately I thought about my list of donations. I donate a lot of my old stuff to the Deseret Industries so that they can resell it and make some money that helps needy families and gives people jobs while they are out of work. But, do I give “more than I can afford”?
Hummm, I then thought of my personal commitment to pay a full tithe (tithing) to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I do donate 10% of my income to the LDS Church because I believe, and have a testimony, that the Lord will bless my family if I obey the commandment of tithing. But, I’m I “giving more than I can afford”?
I also thought of “giving” as a concept of time. Do I give more time than I can afford. While I served as an advisor to the Aaronic Priesthood, I really felt that I did give more time than I could afford. Now that I have a different calling, “Secretary in the Stake Young Men’s Presidency”, I’m not so sure that I do.
My mind falls down the list of things that I donate, my time, my money, my resources. Eventually I am drawn to the story of the widow in the Bible that talks about the widow’s mite. She was a great example of someone who gave more than she could afford. Even though her donation was small in monetary value, it was greater than all the others because, “she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living“.
I continue to ponder this principle and struggle with the deep and humble meanings that it brings to my mind. I hope I do a better job at giving more than I can afford.