For many people, one, two, or even five dollars is easily forgotten. Did you miss that pocket change when you put your pants through the wash? Remember that surprise you felt when you found the crumpled up two dollars under the couch cushions? While these few missing dollars every year remissfully pass through our consciousness,they can change the entire day or even week of the person who could end up finding them.
Proverbs 19:17 says “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay them for their deed.” This passage may not necessarily refer to direct monetary reimbursement for charity work (sorry, but it’s unlikely you’ll get a direct deposit from a mysterious benefactor out of the blue). It more likely refers to the spiritual and emotional fulfillment that charity work gives us. It could also refer to other tangible things we need that will be provided for us. When everything just goes your way in the day, when that check hits your account a day earlier than usual, when your friend is able to help you move your furniture, all of these things are ways in which God provides for our good deeds. While there should be no reason to do charity work besides “it is a moral good,” it’s comforting to know that God sees those good deeds and will ensure that you, in turn, are taken care of.
Here is my suggestion: get $5 cash back in singles once a week. When you see someone in need, you’ll at least have one dollar for them. Then, donate at least one dollar to five GoFundMe campaigns once a week. If everyone who was able donated this way, the amount of met goals and provided meals for those in need would skyrocket!
If you’re not able to donate in that way, keep your pocket change in a jar or piggy bank. Once the receptacle is full, cash it in at the bank, a coin exchange machine, or just grab a fistful whenever you’re going out, and make that your charity fund.
If money is out of the question, give your time. Volunteering at local community gardens, harm reduction organizations, or food pantries expands access to programs that are extremely important to people who need them.
The little things can add up, in negative and positive ways. Be the positive little thing in someone’s life.