On the gripping hand from my earlier post today, there’s this: I really believe in true charity. The word can be translated as love, and sometimes the best way you can love and help someone is cold hard cash. Sometimes good people get into bad situations.
Also, I am a woman of faith, and part of my faith requires 1. Stewardship of what I am given and 2. Giving to the needy. Since I am not currently part of an organized body where tithing and giving would be handled through that body (and my skepticism over that handling is part of why I am not part of such a thing), I keep my eyes open for ways to help where I can.
Like this, where a friend of mine has wound up in an absurdly improbably awful situation. Struck by lightning, struggling to work, and insurance not covering heart surgery for nonsense. If you can help, please consider it.
Or my old friend and writing mentor, who had been caught in the iron jaws of bureaucracy and may lose everything… they live off the land, and very close to the bone. He’s in desperate need of a piece of specialized equipment, and he hasn’t asked for help but you know what? Tough. Helping anyway. Some humans are just good, through and through, and you want to help where you can.
Some rando asking for a handout? Blindly hucking money in the direction of a giant ‘charity’? That’s not good stewardship. Giving strategically where I know a little will make a big difference? Yes. That’s the way.
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15 responses to “Good Stewardship”
Caritas, Christ-like love– truly wishing the greatest good for others.
I like looking at word roots because, even when they change (and WOW do some of them change!) you can learn a lot about how and what folks were thinking.
One of the things I like about our current parish is that they’ve got a food basket tucked away behind the door when you enter.
We use it to teach the kids the habit of charity– without the *bad* habits of charity that we’ve seen elsewhere, where donating food becomes A Big Huge Production. One place the food basket was taken down the aisle by kids dressed like they were in a wedding party, every Sunday, got more attention than the unconsecrated bread and wine.
It’s been a while since I’d done the etymology on that word, so I was hedging. Thank you.
And yes, this is why we’re taught to not let the right hand know what the left is doing. It’s not supposed to be public. Very quiet. But on the other hand, if I can get more eyeballs on worthy causes? I just am not talking all of them up, or saying what I did or didn’t do. *shrug*
Here’s hoping it works.
Thank you for the crosspost. Much appreciated. Also, I’m literally stupid-tired, so I’m going to sleep and hopefully not lose more brainpower!
[…] and some opportunities. Over at Cedar’s. […]
My big thing about charity is that I just can’t give people money. Or, perhaps not directly.
I’ve paid bills for people, I’ve bought groceries, I’ve gotten interview outfits.
But, I don’t give people money. Never seemed to work right for me.
I’ve done those sorts of tangible gifts as well. But sometimes it’s a bigger need than I can wrangle on my own, so I’ll chip in money toward that larger pool.
I understand that part, I’m just…leery of giving money without a clear goal behind it. Too many horror stories and one or two direct examples of enabling the behaviors that got them in the hole they’re in.
That’s where the good stewardship comes in. Being careful with our giving, to ensure we aren’t enabling someone to harm themselves, even indirectly.
Incoming $30 for dispersal to worthy causes. As to faith, those people in the pews, regardless of what they say, and their sniffling and sniping, need each of our persons there with them. Be well, and blessed.
This is quite far afield on charity, but sometimes the most charitable thing you can do for someone is the “severe mercy.” I’ve not done it often, but way more often than ever to be comfortable. I once thought I’d become the prophet of the severe mercy. If you wonder if it truly exists, just remember, Hell is not a punishment, it is God’s expression of the severe mercy.
Aye, I quite agree. But in THESE particular cases, I am figuring that I have heard of the need from Trusted Sources, the Need is Real and True. Is just a matter of what I have to spare (ain’t much, but…) and how BEST to distribute same.
And that is the essence of being a good steward. Not wasting what little we have unless we are certain there is true need.
Uh, what does the good Dave need (I’ve been partying with centaurs, so my faculties are, er, severely diminished, alright..)? I’ll do what I can, once I know what I can do.
He needs to replace his wetsuit. Given they eat or trade a good deal of his catches, it’s kind of important. https://madgeniusclub.com/2021/11/22/irritation/