I've made a decision this month. I was not expecting to think about donating to causes and adding charity to my life until the "Generous" month. It is something I want to do, and something I want to teach my child. However, I'm not ready yet. And I'm going to let go of the guilt of that. I'm going to be okay with the fact that leasing a new car and beginning to finish our basement are the selfish reasons that I "can't" give money right now. But I do have a better explanation:
My motivation for giving to charity (or for at least wanting to give to charity) was one or a combination of three things. Usually, because it's the tactic the marketers use, it was guilt for being an advantaged American. There was also an element of wanting to look good -- like a "good Christian" to everyone I know. The "best" motivation was to feel better about myself; to know that I was putting something good into the world.
But now, as a result of these weeks of thought, I have a new motivation, even though I don't actually plan to do anything about it quite yet. My new reason for wanting to donate is to put more Hope into the world. I think that hearing about needs in the world will not make me feel guilty for not helping, but it will cause me to wish for Hope. I have found my focus shifting away from myself on this topic; I think I can truly understand the reason for anonymous donations. And, since it's not about Me, I don't feel guilt. What I find myself feeling is anticipation for the time I will be ready to add to the Hope in the world.
And, though I hope to never be a person who gives to one charity and thus "cannot" give even $10 to another, I'm looking for the charity (or charities) I want to be part of. In our last Minnesota Monthly magazine, we go the Twin Cities Charity Guide for 07-08. I looked through it and clearly felt myself drawn to some specific charity groups.
Maybe with this new view on giving, I'll be ready to put it into practice by the time I get to "Generous."
No comments:
Post a Comment