Courage to Give

Closely tied to the Courage to Live is the Courage to Give. I know this was not on our original list...it just came up. We cannot properly discuss Courage to Live without at least touching on the Courage to Give…

I know this may not be some ladies’ favourite topic…remember we’re here to make ourselves better people!

Looking around and at ourselves (ok, at myself), it’s as if so many of us live our lives taking all we can. It truly takes courage, not abundance, to give. Anne Frank* who died at age 15 said: “No-one has become poor by giving.” This may have been from her personal experience and that is so true.

The Bible says in Proverbs 11: 24-25:
There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. (Amplified Bible)

Luke 6:38 and Act 20: 35 reiterate this. I’m almost convinced that was why John D. Rockefeller advised: “Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege”. The giver always ends up “on top”.

Ask a farmer - I wonder if Anthony Norvell who said “Plant a kernel of wheat and you reap a pint; plant a pint and you reap a bushel. Always the law works to give you back more than you give”, was one. If he wasn't one, he sure knew about the principle of sowing and reaping...one we should all understand and latch on to.

Winston Churchill said: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Ultimately, “it is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it” (Albert Einstein)

Let’s start with simple ones…and of course progress

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” ~Mother Teresa

“A hug is a great gift. One size fits all, it can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange.” ~ Anonymous

"Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give." ~ Babara Bush

The bottom line is that:

“It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.” (Richard Braunstein)

Well, let’s get back on track and talk about “Courage to Love”.

References:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_frank