Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Thanksgiving is a time when we should reflect on all the ways that we have been blessed. Not only should we all thank God for our blessings, but we should also thank the many people who have contributed to our life in a positive way.
We can all contribute our time, talent, and treasure. Sometimes we contribute from all three. The problem is that not everyone has a lot of time, talent or treasure. Some days, I feel like I am just getting everything I need to get done right before I go to bed and have no extra time. Other days, I feel like I can’t do anything right and am not feeling very talented. Also, I feel fairly comfortable in my lifestyle, but I definitely don’t feel like I have an abundance of treasure.
I may feel like I don’t have any time, but when I look back at my day, I have to wonder how much time I wasted doing things that were not very important. How much time do we spend on ourselves and how much time do we spend on our family, friends, neighbors, and God? Sometimes, all it takes is a short message or call to show someone we care. If we only have five minutes to give to someone, don’t hesitate to share it. We shouldn’t think that unless we have a lot of time to give, we shouldn’t give any. Five minutes here and five minutes there can add up over time. It’s usually only after the people we love are gone that we regret not spending more time with them.
I haven’t met someone who I didn’t think was talented in some way. Everyone has something that they are good at. Even a very mentally or physically challenged person may have a loving heart or a smile that warms the hearts of others. Despite their handicap, they may show a heroic level of determination and drive. We usually like to see an underdog win and the win is much greater when it was a hard fight and no one expected them to win. We each need to discover what we are good at and use our talents to not only help ourselves, but others as well.
I may not have a million dollars, but when I help out someone monetarily or donate to an organization, I am helping them have a better chance of success and showing that I care about them. Don’t say I can’t give because all I can afford is a couple of dollars. We might be waiting until we feel more comfortable with our finances to give our help, but the truth is that we may never feel comfortable with our finances. If we wait until we are comfortable, the people we could have helped will have missed out on our help. Even a small amount of money can help and show that we care. Just think of the difference that could be made if many people donated just a few dollars.
Giving should hurt a little. It’s much more comfortable to spend our free time doing things we want to do. It’s also more advantageous for us to use our talents only on ourselves or keep our money to save or spend on ourselves. The more we give, the more it hurts, but also the more joy we get in the long run.
