For you consideration…
From yesterday until Sunday I am at a Kiwanis Key Leadership Conference for teenagers. A key part of leadership is Service so, of course, it is at the forefront of my mind today. Besides this is as good a time as any to throw it out to you for your consideration.
For many years I have volunteered and donated for various organizations and causes. I have countless stories on many wonderful projects and fabulous inspiring people.
Of late we have seen countless disasters and many groups and people rush to assist. It is inspiring and hopeful. But does the world seem more hopeful? If not, why not? I have thought about this a lot.
Can any service or charity be bad? Sure, it is like anything else. It runs the gambit from one end being harmful to the other end being a blessings or miracle.
How can this be so? It is all about intention. What is the intention on the giving and the receiving? Of course the harmful end of the scale, is giving because you are trying to dupe someone, you’ve been bribed, etc. Along the middle, we have people giving because they think it is the right thing to do, they’ve been told they should, they want to look good, their ego etc. Then the opposite end of all that, the ultimate world changing end of the scale, is giving and serving because of the love in your heart for the love of the other person or people with no expectations.
Receiving is the same. Accepting because you have bribed or made demands is on one end of the scale, maybe the middle is the entitlement attitude and the other end is accepting with nothing but a full and loving heart.
We can change or shift the world into the loving and peaceful place we want it to be. We can do that through Service to others. It is simple really. It is an unspoken contract between the giver and receiver. The only requirement is that each is done with a heart full with love and gratitude. No expectations. Expectations are left open for God to use in our highest good.
What does the heart of the ultimate Service Giver look like? Would you recognize it? Could you be it? Yup, you know exactly what it looks like. It looks like the heart of a Mother.
Stand up ladies, you have a world to take back.
Bit by bit, piece by piece, hope by hope action steps anyone can do….
-Take 10 deep breaths outdoors. Unfortunately, some of you may have to do this from your porch today.
-Do an ultimate Service today. Hey I heard that. You don’t think you have an opportunity. Grab someone and give them a hug from your full and loving heart. Don’t you think that is an ultimate Service?
-Pause for as long as you can and focus on what your full loving heart feels like. Yeah, be amazed, that belongs to you. It is your gift to the world.
-Get back to that mirror and look at that amazing person who owns that rare gift.
What made me smile yesterday…
–I got some emails from friends that made me smile. Don’t you just love the people who can smile in the face adversity?
-I am surrounded by 47 amazing faces of our future. How can you not smile at that HOPE?
-I was starved, out in the middle of no where, dinner planned for 6:00 and had no food. Until my friend, Linda, said want to share my sandwich? That sure made me smile.
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12 Responses to Service and Giving
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Chris,
You often provide such wonderful feasts when we work together on projects and efforts. Things happen for a reason and normally when I order a subway sandwich I only order the childrens size meal. On this day, I felt the need to buy a full sandwich. Hmmm… I stand amazed at the way some things work out. I was blessed to be able to share with you who has so often shared with me!
You have such a wonderful spirit! We all need to check our egos at the door and I am impressed with your blog. It is sad that there are those who do not know the value of true service and a contrite spirit. I hope that I may continue to be an influence on others as I strive to be an example of God’s love, peace and understanding.
I will try to keep checking in.
Happiness Friend!!
Linda
Linda,
Thank you so much for the kind words and being such a good friend.
As always, you have really zeroed in on what this blog is about. It is about listening to those messages we get 24/7 about everything. Guidance is available on all things big and little. The act of noticing and following that signal is so important. That is my Hope.
Love, Blessings and Gratitude,
Chris
I finally got to come back and read this! I’ve been working a lot lately and feeling kind of stressed, so I knew giving myself the time to read a few of your blog entries would help to bring up my spirits. Thanks!
P.S. Still love the image you found! Helping others can definitely be an art, especially the way you talked about it in this entry!
Rachel,
Thank you so much for the feedback. You know this is all new to me so it really helps.
Chris
I have learned new things as a result of your website Service and Giving | Hope's Rising. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. Thanks for the recommendations you have provided in Service and Giving | Hope's Rising.
“To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic.” ~ Alphonse de Lamartine
“There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.” ~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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