Whether it's a gift for your husband,
wife, child or friend, the act of giving is a show of love and appreciation.
It also satisfies a basic need in all of us to please another. All too often,
though, we forget about the larger purpose of giving, the purpose giving gifts
through a charity can fulfill.
Of course the act of giving a gift to
a loved one or someone close to you has an immediate positive impact in seeing
the joy on their face as they receive the gift and their delight when they
see how much you thought and cared to pick that particular gift for them. This
personal connection and reinforcement can be missing when giving gifts to charity.
You put some thought into the Charitable gifts you buy, picking different items
for a family charity than a homeless charity, but in the end it just disappears;
for all you know it actually went into a black hole. Don't be fooled though,
the importance of giving charity gifts is far greater than your personal experience.
Use Imagination
The act of giving charitable gifts is
actually more important than the gift itself. You don't need to be affluent
to participate in this grand contribution. You only need to use imagination.
Picture in your mind the type of person or people who will receive the gift.
Imagine yourself in their place.
The care and love you use to purchase
a charity gift represents the larger care, and greater understanding, you have
of your role in the world. The process, the use of your imagination, the uplifting
feeling you and everyone involved get, all add positive energy to the world
and help to make it a better place. You do have the power to make a difference
and in the end you need to realize the giving of charity is not about the gifts,
but about the contribution you are making on a larger scale.
Best of both worlds
You can support a local charity directly
in this way, but why not also consider buying a gift for a loved one which
benefits others who lack even the most basic necessities elsewhere. You can
buy a water supply for a village or a goat or ox for a family unable to buy
for themselves. You get to help those who need it most, your loved one receives
a confirmation that a gift has been given in their name and you don't have
to worry about whether it comes with batteries!
