Charity is a virtue, an unlimited love given through acts of kindness
Charity is helping those less fortunate than us expecting nothing in return. It is not only about giving money but also having compassion and love for others, giving of ourselves, of our time and energy to help and uplift. Herman Justio explained it as follows: “In my opinion, the nature of love must always reach beyond ourselves. And in terms of charity, the love that we give must be free from selfishness. It is purely a joy to give, and to give more than simply material things, truly because we love others.”
True charity comes from the heart, we must learn to cultivate it within ourselves and also teach this virtue to our children. Charity is giving back to society and to the world, making it a better place for us all to live in. Reaching out to others is not only beneficial to them but also to yourself, you will often find that as you walk away you will have a joyful heart knowing that you made a difference, you will appreciate that which you have more, you will feel a greater love and humility burning within you. John Holmes stated: “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”
My youngest son, a few months ago asked me after giving some money to a beggar at the robot, why I always give even when we have so little? My answer to him was easy and I told him that over the years I have learned that the more I give the more I have, we have never gone short, in actual fact, it always felt to me like we had even more than before. We do not need heaps of money to give, we can give the little we have and still make a difference. We can give a smile, a listening ear, even a hug can go a long way to brighten someone's day.
Two more of my favourite quotes by Mother Theresa: 1)“Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead.” 2)“Give, but give until it hurts.”
Even some of our very successful businessmen believe that they need to give back to the community if they want to continue prospering. Warren Buffet advised that: “If you’re in the luckiest one per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent.”
1)“Be the change you want to see in the world.” 2) “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” - Mahatma Gandhi. We had a terrible drought this year and what touched my heart is how all the believers and none believers got together to accumulate truck loads of water for the areas which had none. We stood together as a community helping our farmers save their herds and flocks. Our act of love, compassion and kindness made a difference.
These words I have experienced first hand to be true. If you feel depressed, lonely or lost, reach out to someone in need. Serving others helps you to focus on something different than yourself and your problems, as you lose yourself in service to your fellow being your burdens will be lightened and you will become a happier person.
“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” - Abraham Lincoln
“Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you.” - Shannon L. Alder
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” - John Bunyan
“Charity sees the need, not the cause.” - German proverb. I hope we will all look for an opportunity to reach out to those who need a helping hand. Enjoy a wonderful week!
Keep Smiling, reading, writing, voting and loving!!!