Daily Inspiration 12-4-11

Making A Difference Week

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life

with a catcher's mitt on both hands.

You need to be able to throw something back."

-- Maya Angelou

Giving is such a complicated thing sometimes. This is the Christmas season and it is traditionally a time of giving gifts to family and friends. Then, this time of year the Salvation Army red kettles are out in force, along with lots of sign-holding people in the major driveways. There's the big organizations, the churches, homeless shelters. There is no shortage of the needy. In fact, there never has been.

Each of those are the tangible aspects of giving and usually involves money, and it seems that they are all competing for the dollar during this spending time. I think giving in these ways is a good thing.

I think of how we can give back, or rather share ourselves, our abundance, throughout the year, week in and week out as a habitual part of our lives. We can volunteer. There will always be plenty of openings for volunteers. We can share our resources, or our abundance with others regularly. As good as all these are, they are things.

Here's another way we can give regularly that is more than meaningful--it is life itself. Mother Teresa said it well: "There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are more dying for a little love."

Thinking about giving back from the life that was given by our Creator, however, we perceive this, I can think of only one single way that fits into every religion and is also the one way that makes any sense. What can we give to the Lord (World, Universe, Buddha, God, etc.) today or any day? We can give the Lord (World, Universe, Buddha, God, etc.) away. And the way we do that so that it is meaningful is by giving love.

The best that we can do as Christians is to love one another. The best we can do as Buddhists is to love one another. The best we can do as Muslims is to love one another. The best we can do for God is to love one another. The best we can do for ourselves is to love one another.

Just Imagine This Kind Of World Where Everyone Loves Each Other. It Must Start With Me.

Spread Some Joy Today--Want joy? Become a lover of people and all that is happening in your life. Wanting more is great from a place of loving where you are, what you are doing, and who you are.