Not Just For Christmastime

Have you ever been the recipient of something that was never expected to be returned?

What about borrowing something from a neighbor or family member only to hear "you can keep it?"

Something happens when we are gifted a thing or an amount of money. Personally, I feel a greater sense of responsibility to use the thing or money extra wisely to honor the giver. You may not feel that way and that is understandable. I'm not here to police your feelings.

Another thing happens when we are the giver in the situation. Blessing another with money or other material goods to help them triggers something in us. We feel good that we helped another human being. This comes regardless of whether the person actually uses the gift well. Think about Christmas each year. The effort spent going around getting gifts is to see the smiling faces on those receiving the gifts.

You can make that kind of good feeling a regular part of each month. By adding a giving budget item to your planned budget for the month, you give yourself permission to be a blessing to others around you. Moreover, you can set the limit to what you are comfortable with.

We are about to begin March of 2022. If you are spending today setting up your budget, I encourage you to add a category for giving. Then challenge yourself to give that money away with no strings attached. It could be to a person in need, an organization, or a family member just looking to bridge a temporary gap.

The choices are yours to make.