After Patti's death, one of the changes I went through...am going through is that I find it easier to give than I used to.
Easier to put other people above my self.
So when I feel an urge to give, I don't question it like I used to, I simply do it.
That's not to say I allow my emotions to be manipulated by a bum with a puppy, particularly since most bums are sex offenders that belong behind bars, but there's a difference between emotional giving and giving inspired by God.
It feels different for one thing.
Would I be able to tell the difference if I didn't work hard to master my emotions rather than being mastered by emotions? Perhaps not, I can't say for sure.
Mostly because I have been working at mastering my emotions for a long time (thanks to Bob at One Cosmos for helping me do that). So dispassionate passionate giving is an easier transition than it might have been thanks to me being open more to wisdom than whatever I may be feeling at a given moment.
Does that mean I wouldn't ever give to a bum (or homeless person, or someone that's just goin' through a rough patch) with (or without) a puppy? Not at all.
In fact I already have. However, it's not something' I do automatically, unless I get that inspiration from my reverence points.
After all, God is able to tell the difference between a scam artist and someone who really does need a helping hand up better than I ever could.
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4 comments:
This is one my husband and I have struggled with recently, and ultimately have decided it's better to be generous and trust that if the person asking is doing so wrongly, the result is between that person and God. There are so many homeless and beggars out here, one cannot help but feel either compassion or contempt, or some mixture of both. We try to opt for compassion.
That said, I wish there were some way to give a genuine blessing to everyone looking for a handout. It's a hard world out there, especially for those who are their own worst enemies.
I have found this to be the case for myself, too. There are things I have to watch -- like trying to give to the grandkids to "make up" for Grandma being gone. But I have also given to a cause for which I have always had sympathy but never helped. I think I give more at church. As far as the guys on the street corners, I just follow my impulse and trust the Lord to guide me. I'll probably miss it one way or the other sometimes, but I figure I'll learn.
Hi Julie,
I can definitely relate to being my own worst enemy, having been that enemy more often than I would like to admit.
I can laugh about it now, most the time. It is a very easy role for me to adapt, however so I pray to be mindful of it.
Hi Mushroom,
I hadn't thought about that with our granddaughter. Last Christmas I really went overboard, and for that very reason, or at least in part, now that you mention it.
That's something else I should be considering more as it's not wise to go too overboard.
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