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Monday, November 7, 2011

Thankfulness...






I grew up in comfort.








There was always food, whether my fussy palette enjoyed it or not.            
There were clothes, not always the latest styles, but always more than I needed.
When I was blessed with my own family my children always had whatever they needed, and then some. 
Christmas morning was a sea of wrapping paper and the latest toys. 
Our traditions were always a given. 










But giving back has sometimes been confusing for me.
My donations have always been to local charities, silent auctions, and food banks. These were the places I knew about. 
They had storefronts, and I saw the need with my own eyes.


Sometimes it's hard to donate to a big corporation. You wonder if your money is going to the real source of need, 
or being spent on office supplies. 
Sometimes it's hard to write a check and send it off when you should put that money towards your growing Visa statement. 
Your bills are real, but where's the donation really going?
And then there's the commercials. Are they staged? 
If you send a check will it end up paying for more advertisement?
It's easy to look the other way and make excuses.


I'd like to place my money in the hand of the person who needs it.
I believe that's true for many people.  
I want to watch their fingers close around it and know that they're buying food...
or clothing...I want to see them smile. Rather selfish on my part.
Putting a check in an envelope and sending it off isn't warm and fuzzy.
But unless you're planning a life changing journey where you'll use your own hands to build, you just have to have faith. 
Faith that you're doing good. 
Faith that not everything is a scam. 
Faith that the pictures you see are real.
Speaking of real...


I happened to stumble across something that pulled at my heart.
Shannan at Flower Patch FarmGirl has a real cause you should consider.


Water.


(photo courtesy of Flower Patch FarmGirl)




Water is life. Water is taken for granted.
We expect it. We always have access to it.
It's hard to imagine that some children do not.


Please read her POST and consider a donation.
This is the time of year when we're bombarded with pleas for those in need.
It's time to listen.


















3 comments:

  1. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

    This just made my day. And I love this line of yours: "Putting a check in an envelope and sending it off isn't warm and fuzzy."

    It was important for me to set this up through a reputable company and for the funds to go to directly to them and not through my hands. I know what it's like to have those questions and doubts, and they are often valid. Samaritan's Purse is a top-notch organization and I am hoping that we will be able to see exactly where our well is built, in the end. Wouldn't that be amazing?!!!

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  2. What a wonderful way to help make the world a better place! Thank you for having a kind heart.

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  3. I love old family photos. Makes me want to post some. Thanks for sharing.

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