What have you done for me lately?

I can be embarrassingly selfish, when it comes to my possessions and time. In my carefully crafted image of myself I would imagine that I am fairly generous. After all, the majority of my work is people centred and those who know me praise my patience, tolerance and calm manner. But honestly speaking, talk is cheap and I'm talking a good game.

There are various types of givers:

1. Uncle Sam -This group will give if there is a guarantee that they will have an immediate return. At Christmas they brag about the thousands they spent and usually are unhappy with what they receive.
2. Minimalists - If they can get away with bringing tooth picks (from home) to a party, they will. If you need 10 cents they will serve you ten pennies, no more no less.
3. Teeter totters - This group is uncertain, they may be anxious about loss and may go back and forth before deciding to give. 
4. Selfless - These people give without hesitation or reservation. They give out of kindness, not ego.

These are not fixed categories, as I would say that I have fallen in them all at one point in time but it takes purity and maturity to give selflessly. I am blessed to have many selfless givers in my life. What I notice is that they do desire appreciation but never demand it. That is because they give from the heart.
One very cool man once told me that if he only has a toonie to his name he is not afraid to give it away because he knows it will come back to him. He made a point of saying that his life is much richer than the $2 and that he has a home and family waiting for him, despite being on hard times. WHAT?! You mean riches is not determined by fancy things and cash? Well as I mentioned in my intro, this practice of giving is easier said than done. I also said that it takes purity and maturity.

Remember when you were a child and you could not smile any brighter than when you gave your mom a macaroni necklace, picked dandelions for your grandma, and if your friend was running out you would give him half of your snowballs that you had spent 20 minutes making. It's the simple things.

Now life is more complicated. In a fairly long article I read in O Magazine, Maya Angelou said that it's not that adults don't want to give but that they are afraid. Yes, we are. We're told to collect and protect all that we have, and when we're making millions then we can give out thousands like it's nothing. Therefore, those who give as grown folks understand the way of life. Anything you hold on too tightly to will be taken away from you, but the more you give the more you will have to give.

As you think about the true worth of what you give back read one of the stories my dad would tell me when I was a kid:

"And He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Luke 21:1-4

So if you are buying lottery tickets, have a Rogers phone plan, and/or watching The Avengers 3D - but singing off key "Poverty" by QQ you need to stop di noise and start counting your blessings because you have a lot to give.