Last Sunday I noticed something unusual in the Kingdom Hall’s donation box. Usually, bills and coins are voluntarily (and discreetly) placed into the donation box as a testament of heartfelt contribution and support to the worldwide work. However, this time it was different. A little girl donated a plastic bottle. Filled with curiosity, I walked over and tried to take a closer look.
Surprisingly, it was not purely a plastic bottle. It was a container used by the girl for saving money in! The little girl explained that she set aside a portion of her little allowance to save and donate the money because of love. “I wanted to help others. It was my allowance savings but I’ll give it.”, she said while beaming at me.
In an era when some are quick to label people as self-centered, many young ones—including the little girl above—are proving to be just the opposite. Instead of buying her favorite toy or spending purely on recreational stuffs, she managed to voluntarily donate. We too may use our time, energy, and resources to serve others. We can learn the truth of this statement - “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” – Acts 20:35.
I learned that the total cost of the coins in the plastic bottle was around P200. This struck me. The little girl saves and donates on a monthly basis. How about us? Do we use our resources (money, time and energy) to serve and assist others? In times of calamities, loss of possessions or even death of loved ones, are we quick enough to ‘keep an eye on the personal interests of others’? Of course there are other ways to help and serve, but we too can discover the joy of giving. How about you? Have you started sharing your “plastic bottle”?