YOU CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT GIVING

 



“You can give without loving;

but, you cannot love without giving.”

Amy Carmichael

 

Kahlil Gibran says, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It’s when you give of yourself, that you truly give.”

I do not know, how to convey this truth to a young one who wants to know how to shine in life... “By giving, and by giving more and even more,” I say to every young one.

Now, you can understand, why Gibran talks about ‘giving of yourself’ – and not ‘giving of your possessions’...

The wealthiest man in this world may not know what giving is... and, as Amy Carmichael says, “You can give without loving; but, you cannot love without giving.”

Some days ago, a young man – a very creative, very gifted soul – wanted to know from me how to find true happiness in his life. Well, I knew, that happiness was not any destination; but, only a continuous journey... It’s along this journey, that one could hope to experience happiness. So, I said to the young man, “Give... Help others to succeed, to find their happiness.”

I could read the skepticism writ large on this young man’s face... I could hear what it was telling: “How can I give when I myself do not have.”

That’s exactly the problem... “You have; but, you are not able to see... You give with your gifts, your talents... It will only make you richer, help you find your own happiness... Believe in helping and empowering others, and simply go about doing it with no strings attached... Trust me, you will be rewarded in many folds.”

No, this message doesn’t get transmitted into a young skull that easily... “I will give only when I have enough,” one still argues...

I say, “You will never have enough... Never, ever. Thus, give with whatever gifts God has blessed you with... Until then, you will only remain ‘poor’ no matter how much you are going to amass.”

Wealth and money are the cheapest possessions. Steve Maraboli says, “The bank of love is never bankrupt.”

I realized, how ‘rich’ I was, long ago, as a struggling young man in this city. I was  jobless and hungry... But, I knew what gifts I had possessed... I believed in these gifts... I believed, that giving through my gifts was within my hands... I could immediately see the connection between giving and receiving... I knew, it would help me build my self-confidence and find my place under this vast sky...

Let me tell you this: Those whom I gave with no strings attached, when I had no money in my pockets, have become my lifetime well-wishers... As many of them proudly declare, “We are your true wealth.”

Well, in a make-believe world, what I am saying here may sound like a silly fantasy, very naive way of looking at life...

I know, you will be worried about what they might ask you: “Show me the money.”





The weather outside was very pleasant – just right amount of cold and breeze... The best time to go out for a slow walk after the dinner... While my wife and I were taking a walk after the dinner tonight, I received a call from our son. “Dad, both of you look up at the sky... It’s a Super Moon today.”

We looked at the sky... The sky was absolutely clear... The Moon gently emerged through a thin sheet of clouds... till we could see the full-blown celestial beauty!

We stood there for a while beholding this rare sight... I do not know what my wife was thinking. But, I was asking the Moon, wonder-struck: “Are you not tired of giving?”

The Moon seemed to answer: “The bank of love is never bankrupt.”




 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s.: 1. wallpapercave.com  2. images.graficsea.com



Video: itisnowforever/Kahlil Gibran ('The Prophet')

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