Probably the biggest gift you will ever receive is the huge investment your parents made in you. But they are not the only ones who gave to you. During the course of your life you have received many things from other people — teachers, relatives, strangers. Schools and hospitals were built with the hard work and tax dollars of those who preceded you. In fact, virtually everything you use in your life has been made by someone else. The peace that you enjoy has been delivered by the sacrifice of others. When you think about it, you know countless people who have made a difference in your life — some negative, some positive. Why not make a decision to have a positive impact on the lives of others, even if they are strangers?
Consider the following statistics:
One out of every four people in the world is starving.
1.5 billion people in the world do not have enough clean water.
At least 200 million people are suffering the horror of war, imprisonment, and/or torture.
Every few seconds a child dies from a preventable disease.
One-seventh of the world’s population is illiterate.
In the US, the world’s richest country, 3 million people are homeless each year.
There are also great needs within your own community. In the face of such need and desperation, you have two choices.
You can decide to help others and change lives, or you can decide to do nothing and lose the benefits of giving. But remember, when people come together to tackle a difficult situation, they receive far more than they can ever imagine.