Friday, September 5, 2014

When you feel bad....do for others!


The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate. But in what you give away #GivingTuesday Giving Inspiration
      So, I slept this entire past weekend and finally felt a little bit rested. This week has been long though, this is why I haven't posted in a week...I can barely find enough time in the days to do everything I need to do, much less everything I should do. And this wears me out!
     My mom always taught us that giving back to your community is what you are here to do. We went to soup kitchens and packed grocery sacks for families without food during the holidays. Our family never gave gifts to the adults at Christmas time, instead the adults adopted children in need to buy for and we would go shopping for these other families. If you knew of someone who needed something, you did what you could to help. This is why I chose as an adult to begin to give back. I believe that God desires and expects us to think of others more than ourselves and to help take care of each other. So I have begun to give back in my adult life and to set good examples for my children, to teach them of selflessness and giving. I have begun a food pantry at our church and coupon to try to help stock the pantry for families in need. I have also started a Service Club at our school. We meet once a month and get the kids involved in giving back to our community through acts of service...to be the hands and feet of Christ. It is during times when I struggle with my Lupus that I try my hardest to give. I believe that focusing on others helps distract my focus on my pain and hurt. It also makes me feel better to do good. And sometimes it reminds me that my bad isn't as bad as it could be, or as bad as other peoples situations. It could always be worse.
     So today our school made cards for a sweet girl in our community who is battling childhood cancer. My children and I came home and packaged up the cards, books, games, stickers and a huge stuffed horse and delivered them to her house. I'm grateful that I got the chance to take these things to her today...what strength she has. I only met her today, but in those few minutes I could tell that she is not a whiner or complainer. She was stung by a wasp as we talked with mom and never even shed a tear, which made me wonder what she is used to going through right now that a wasp sting was barely notable. There are so many things for us each to be thankful for. So many blessings that we have in our life, even if our health is not perfect.
     
     This month is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Please, if you know someone who is fighting childhood cancer, think...what could you do to give to them? How could your disease or chronic illness teach you to show compassion towards others? How can you use what you've gone through to give to someone else? And if you're not sick...what are you waiting for...you have more energy to give back!! No excuses. When you finish reading this get up and write a letter to someone you know who is having a hard time, or send a package to a stranger, or visit someone who is lonely, or bake some goodies for a neighbor...the possibilities are endless. 

Mother Teresa said many wise things, here are a few that have stuck with me.....
Mother Teresa- for some reason this has been the quote floating around in my head recently

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." Mother Teresa




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