Undressing Charity

You will only experience real joy as you undress charity

UNDRESSING CHARITY

The beauty of her nature is hidden within you. You will never appreciate her existence if you are so mesmerized with your own attractiveness. She is like a blooming flower, discharging her fragrance in the garden but you did not enjoy her because you have no time for her to touch. What you see was nothing but you. But though how many times you abandoned her, she did not get tired of you. Your coldness did not change her warmness. Though again and again you rejected and ignored her presence but she did not give up on you. It’s not because you deserve her, but she just cannot deny her nature, that’s who she is. That’s why she did not let you go. Until one day you get tired of watching yourself. You know you are free but deep inside you felt imprisoned. You know you are blessed but deep within, you’re crying like a beggar. Yes, you got depressed, and you’ve thought that everything was nothing but pointless. So in desperation you’ve searched your soul. Then you came to realize that you have been so selfish. What you care in life is nothing but all about you. You’ve been ignoring those people who loved you, their affection and love for you was not reciprocated, as a result they decided to go. You know in your heart that you cannot blame them, for it’s you who pushed them away. Though you want to win them back but it’s too late, for they already found people who love them back.

 

So you’ve changed your direction. Instead of focusing your eyes to yourself, you decided to look around. As you watched different kind of people, you realized that you have been blessed and yet you’ve been so selfish. Finally you start realizing where you went wrong. Then you decided to make it right and start all over again. As you think this way, you are also undressing charity.

 

The passion you have to help the less fortunate became your first priority. All the emotional dryness you’ve felt slowly flew away, right after you offered a cup of cold water to the thirsty and a piece of bread to the hungry. The coldness you’ve felt in your soul was warmth when you clothed the naked and sheltered the homeless. Yes, finally you’ve found the true meaning of happiness. The more you help the richer the joy you’ve felt. Indeed, true joy and happiness is not found in money and self-promotion. For the Lord put a hole in our heart that only He can fill. Charity means love, and love is God. Because we are created according to His very own image, His love is also imputed in us.  That’s why we are encouraged to live how He lived and give how He gave. The Bible reiterated it in     

                              Matthew 25:34-40

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? ’The King will reply, ‘truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

Yes, whatever we do for others in the name of God, it carries an eternal value. And surely whatever we sow, we shall surely reap.