Perhaps one of the first big pushes in the United States to give to charity began on Labor Day, 1966. Jerry Lewis hosted a telethon promoting the Muscular Dystrophy Association, raising awareness of the disease as well as funds to help do research and treat it. For 49 years, the telethon helped to raise over $2 billion. The telethons ended in 2015 due to the advancement of social media and better platforms to raise awareness and funds.
Charity drives seem to be happening all the time. The latest and most common form of charity fund raisers takes place every time you go through a fast-food drive thru. Would you like to round your total up to the nearest dollar for ________?
Around Christmas, the Salvation Army is making a hard push for funds. The red kettles and bell ringing staff invite you to drop your loose change – or bills – into the kettle to help others. Christmas also sees a big push from Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham’s organization.
One organization looks for donations year-round. It’s the American Red Cross. You don’t have to give money. Just roll up your sleeve and contribute a pint of blood. Brett Crystal, a donor from Nashville, Tennessee has won an award for over 300 donations in the past 20 years. However, he has a long way to go before he can reach the amount of donations of an Australian named “James Harrison, who retired from donating in 2018 at 81-years-old with 1,173 blood donations spanning over 60 years.”1
Today would be a good day to donate something because today is National Giving Hearts Day, offering another opportunity for big-hearted donors to donate to their favorite cause. Why do we need days like this? Because the need is great and fewer people give than ever before.
There’s probably never a time when a charitable organization would refuse donations. Can you imagine driving up to the Red Cross and they turn you away, saying that they already have too much blood? Would MDA, St. Jude’s Hospital, or the Ronald McDonald Houses ever say, “Keep your donation. We are fully funded and can’t foresee a need for many years to come.” Would Franklin Graham send out a letter to all his supporters, stating that they have an overflow of resources and are prepared for any natural disaster?
I don’t think so! And, yet, there was a day when the giving Israelites were told to stop giving. Exodus 36:1-7 says, “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. (2) And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: (3) And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. (4) And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; (5) And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. (6) And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. (7) For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”
Words that have never since been spoken!
The need is always there and always seems to be great. In a prosperous nation like America, we can all give something to help others. We can go through our clothing and contribute to Good Will. Our cupboards could be raided and the excess donated. We can give blood – if we (me) can get over the fear of needles and if we don’t have any health issues that might exclude our giving. Some can give of their finances. We can all give of our time and ourselves.
As you prayerfully consider how you might give, consider 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, paying 
special attention to the final verse. “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; (2) How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. (3) For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; (4) Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”
1https://www.redcross.org/local/tennessee/about-us/news-and-events/press-releases/champion-blood-donor-donates-more-than-300-units-of-blood.html
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
