Myself included.

We don’t want to know about situations that would make us spend money or time. We DON’T want to know anything that would encourage us to change our lives into something less comfortable.

How many of you think first about yourself when you see an increase in income? When you get your tax refund? A raise?

I know that I do. In fact, when all is said and done, I probably spend that raise several times before I even get it.

When members of your church or synagogue lose a job or get sick or have an unplanned pregnancy or become disabled or…   Do you think of ways to help?

To my shame, I know that I often do not – which is to say that I do, but only sometimes. Instead of offering time or money, I give excuses. Oh, I don’t think that I have the time. There’s this new project, and… Or, I don’t have very much money, and the guy next to me has so much more… Or, I’m doing my part - let someone else do theirs… Or,… 

[Fill in your 'Or,' here.]

The problem is that excuses do not solve problems. The hungry aren’t fed by kind words. The defenseless are not secured by platitudes. The sick are not made well by a well-written email.

Problems are solved by getting involved. It means spending money and taking time. It might require physical effort. It might require giving up luxuries. It might require a sacrifice of leisure time. It might require any number of things, but it will certainly require something that you probably don’t want to give.

I know this because I feel it myself. Even as I write this, there are a list of things that I don’t want to do because they mean sacrifices that I don’t want to make. I don’t want to spend the time and I don’t want to spend the money. I want someone else to do these things.

But… I’m getting there.

How?

By not waiting for a problem to come along before investing my time and money.

It means setting aside money and time every week or month – and then looking for a way to spend it. It means giving up ownership on a certain amount of your time and your money and then look for someone who needs it more than you do.

It will mean being more thoughtful of the gifts that I give myself and my family. It will mean fewer luxuries. It will mean more discomfort in my physical life.

Feel free to put yourself in my situation and go through the same effort to give. But, when you do that, think about how much good that you will do and how much good you will be! 

In keeping with yesterday’s post on hunger, here’s one place that needs your help.

http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/

They give out almost two tons of food every day to the desperately needy in Israel. They have a tiny administrative staff and a huge network of volunteers that work for free. The money and time that people give to Bridges for Peace is money and time well given.

Think about it.