Divorcing Gifts

It is so difficult, as Americans, to divorce the gift. Now I mention Americans, because of my perception of the American dream. The dream, that if you work hard enough and apply yourself, you will lift yourself from out of whatever perceived or real level of poverty you may be born. Everyone else is just lazy or content to live in squalor. So everything that one has achieved or accumulated is due to their efforts and bestowing a portion of that earned property requires responsibility by the receiver to use it in manner that is befitting of the giver.

We need to divorce the gift. Do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. As the saying goes "never watch a sold stock." Whether it rises or falls has no bearing on your initial decision to sell. When helping another person, the act of compassion, of valuing a human over possessions is the point, not the outcome of the act. I have always wondered if Christ's disappointment with the rich young ruler's decision to not sell all he had to give to the poor, was his realization that he valued his possessions over people.

If people are more important than money, than why do we worry about how they will spend it. You cannot get it back and their single act of disregard, should not shape our opinion for the remainder of God's children. I need to be better at divorcing my gifts. And to quit worrying.