“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we
give.” Winston Churchill
This quote speaks to me each day. When I open my journal –
it’s on the top of the page, look on my “ism” wall and it is bold and bright –
no way to miss it! Let’s read that quote again, “we make a living by what we
get. We make a life by what we give.” If you think about where you are today –
the whole crazy picture – ups and downs, good times, not so good times, friends
that are still with you, friends that have faded into the past – ask yourself –
what have you given? This is not meant to be a contest on who has done the most
or the least for that matter – just simply a check in to say “what have you
given?”
Have you given your children the extra patience they deserve in growing
up in the technology rich environment that we are inexperienced in? Have you
given your friend your ear and really listened to what she is saying? Have you
given your last five dollars to someone that is in greater need than you? Have
you given yourself a moment to see what God really has planned for you?
Life is
not always a pretty picture that we all dream it to be however we have the
power to make it better by giving. Make it a goal today to give – try it I
promise it will make your day and the day of someone else. Look around where
you live – find a food pantry that needs volunteers or monthly donors to help
support the families in need, books that need to be read to children in a
community library, donation of clothes for families that don’t have any,
prayers for the elderly that don’t have a visitor in the retirement home. Try
it – you will find more joy in giving of yourself, your time, your talents then
you will ever find in the paycheck that hits your bank each month or that fancy
new gadget that just hit the market – guaranteed. We only have one shot at this
life – let’s work together and make it the best we can with what we have. The
last time I checked there were no U-hauls headed to heaven – we can’t take the stuff
with us – let’s give whatever we can to make both the giver and receiver have
the best life possible.
Growing up my career choices were a potpourri of dreams from
being elected the first lady president to flying F-15’s. There was no way I was
going to slow down enough to be a wife and a mother – that was not in my plan
and that was that. Little did I know – someone had a much different idea for my
future. That plan involved marrying a great friend from my college days and
having two of the most beautiful children in the world. As I sit here today
thinking about all that has change and dreaming about all that is still to come
I am amazed at what an excellent planner God is and how so very good at it He
is! If you ask anyone who knows me they will let you know that I love a good
spreadsheet and organization makes me happy – the irony of this picture is that
my life rarely fits into that spreadsheet and organized is a word that my
children dislike almost as much as homework. What I have found though is if in
the quiet moments of the morning before the hustle of day to day to life begins
I can steal a moment with a sleepy 4th grader or spend a technology
free second with a preteen that life is truly wonderful despite the challenges
we face each day.
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