The Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi lived a life committed to poverty and, yes, lived happily in poverty for the glory of God and for the sake of others.
It simplifies matters to give to others when we have nothing to guard...there is no ego involved. What I am learning is that is true whether it be money or pride we're protecting. Either one, left to our ego-centric reasoning mind, requires constant bolstering...more, in a word.
A memory comes to mind of my L.A. days in the '60s when I lived from payday to payday as did my friends. One day my friend Pam had no money for lunch, and I had a dollar. So I gave her half, and we had lunch...a hot dog and a coke a piece. She was knocked out that I'd split my last dollar with her, and I remember saying it was no great shakes...what else could I possibly buy with a dollar except two hotdogs and cokes and I only needed one.
I suspect had I had ten dollars, I would never have given her half of it. And there it is: The perfect example of an act utterly open and unselfish and an act utterly closed by self-protection, both dictated entirely by the amount of money involved.
I wonder if Francis and Clare had won the proverbial million dollar lottery back in their day if they'd have quick given it away and continued their life happy, pious and poor? Or if they would have felt it prudent to hold a half million bucks (at least) back...rainy day money, don'cha know? They would have given it away...their destiny was to be saints. The eye of the needle and a rich man comes to mind.
I'm almost embarrassed to mention that from my eyebrows up, I truly think I'd give away the major portion of a million dollar win. Lucy is positive I would. God...not so much. But he loves that we give him a laugh.
Thank you.
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