What we spend, we lose. What we keep will be left for others. What we give away will be ours forever

What we spend, we lose. What we keep will be left for others. What we give away will be ours forever. David McGee

This is such a wonderful perspective on giving! The money that I spend, and the things that I consume, are lost--once I have spent them, they are gone. And the things that I hold on to, and keep for myself, are left for others when I pass away. Yet the things that I give away--my time, my valuables, my compassion, my wealth, my love, my knowledge--will be mine forever. No one can take away the fact that I gave something to another, nor will the positive that has resulted from my giving will ever expire. It becomes a part of my very character--of who I am, of how I am perceived. For me, the concept of generosity has been something that has constantly evolved over time. I never used to feel comfortable giving away things that left me exposed to suffering or misery. My possessions were things I felt I could never do without, things that defined my worth. My compassion and my love was something I reserved only for those I felt deserved it or would not hurt me. I was concerned about the limited availability of my resources--my time, my energy, my knowledge--that if I gave them freely, perhaps they would run out.

Over the years, I am coming to learn that giving does not leave me with less, or expose me to suffering and misery. In reality, giving is miraculous in nature, for it creates more of the very thing that is given. When I give my love to others, it is received by them, passed on by them, and shared back to me. The same goes with all things I give.

Spend what you must, but be aware of what you spend, for it is lost. Keep what you need and require in life, but be aware that one day you will have to leave it all behind. And most importantly, do your best to give away what you can, knowing full well that in doing so, it is yours forever.

Today's Challenge:

Give today while considering the perpetual effects of such an action.

Ponder on below points too:

What things have you recently spent? What have they provided for you? What things are you unwilling or unable to let go of? How does this make you feel? What things have you given to others? What have you gained from doing so?

Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away. Elbert Hubbard