Thank You Donors

I like to read blogs. Mostly because I am nosy. (If I were a stay at home mom, I would know every danged thing that goes on in my neighborhood within a ten mile radius. The CIA should recruit me.) However, I also enjoy reading about people in blogs. Not idiot celebrity blogs, but genuine people. It is entirely likely that some of the blogs I read are written by fake people who are really trying to sell things, but that's the risk I am willing to take.

In my reading, I came across this blog post last week, on I've Become My Mother! There is a girl named Haley who has a disease that requires bone marrow. The blogger, Kelly, is asking people to find out if they are a match with Haley(the test involves a cheek swab), and for those people to consider donating bone marrow.

Charity is defined by Merriam-Webster as benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity. It is also defined as generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering. We are taught from an early age to practice charity towards others. One of the ways we do this is through donations.

We donate food.

We donate time.

We donate money.

Whenever there is a catastrophe, such as Katrina, the earthquake in Japan, or the tornado that hit Joplin, people all over the world open their hearts and give. Whenever there is someone in our own community who is suffering, who is in pain, or who feels alone, there are many people who want to reach out to them. It's this sort of ideal that defines us as human. For in that moment, I believe, we are all one family, no matter where we live or what our circumstances. Giving isn't about the self, it's about that connection we all have with each other.

This girl Haley is a person in need. You can help her.

If you are squeamish about donating blood or bone marrow, that is okay. I certainly won't judge--donating bone marrow can be a painful process, even under the best of circumstances. And some of us are not physically able to donate blood or tissue. However, you can donate in other ways that don't involve needles and hospital stays, and I am not necessarily talking about money, but encouragement and prayer. Go over to the website and give what you can, even if it is a few words of prayer.

Angels

Tonight, on the drive home, I noticed that the clouds in the sky had formed up as a huge wing. It extended across my windshield, and I had plenty of time to look at it since it was going my way. Seeing it made me smile. When I see the shapes of wings in the clouds, I think of angels being in the sky looking over us. Yes, I believe that angels exist. You can laugh at me, it's okay.



Every single time I've been at a dark point in my life an angel has shown up. From the time when I was seventeen and saw the shadow of angel wings behind the altar during Mass to the day I took this picture of a man riding a dragon in the sky. An angel has even visited me in the form of a DPS officer with the intense, piercing blue eyes and a very kindly face. There's always been Something or Someone 'Other' around, telling me that whatever my problems, whatever my heartache, it was going to be okay.

Notice that I didn't say that an angel showed up and took care of my problem FOR me, although if one did show up with a check for a couple of million bucks I certainly would be properly grateful. Heaven helps those who help themselves, remember? No, at my lowest points in life, when I am looking for strength, courage, support, and most importantly, hope, the angels are there. My angels have shown up in various ways over the years to give me hope and strength to face my issues and work through them. I am extremely grateful for that.

Although I wouldn't say 'no', if someone did take a few of my responsibilities away for a bit. Like housework. And I would TOTALLY be okay with coming home to a clean house and finding dinner ready every now and then. And maybe if a free masseuse showed up mysteriously...

Heaven Helps Those Who Get Off Their Butts

I know a lot of helpful people. If you are in trouble and need help, they are very willing, and able, to help you. If you don't have money for food, they can put in a word for you at the food bank or a church. If you lose your job, they can help you find a new one, and if that new job requires training, they will help you get that as well. There are even people who will help you find diapers for your baby. But there's a catch. Those who want help...have to ask for it.

"I need help." Those are some impossibly difficult words for some people to say, including myself. We find ourselves pretending that we don't need anything or anybody because that is safest. We hide behind our pride and claim that we "don't take charity". We can't trust that the person who gives us something won't want something in return. Sometimes this is the case, but most of the time the person is trying to be helpful and nothing else. No strings.

There are people out there, unfortunately, who do nothing. They sit there, while their children go hungry, while their electricity is cut off, while they freeze to death, waiting. Apparently, God is supposed to hand deliver any and all miraculous assistance directly to these people, with the prerequisite angelic trumpets and singing. Jesus himself is supposed to anticipate their needs and come down from the heavens and solve all their problems without these people making any effort at all. These people do not deserve help, in my opinion.

Heaven helps those who help themselves, the saying goes. If you aren't going to make any effort, why should God do it for you? And did you ever stop to think that God put all those helpful people on earth for a reason?

If your children are hungry, get off your backside and find food for them. If you don't have a job, get off your ass and go look for one. If you don't have any money for a few Christmas presents, or clothes, or heat, get off your butt, go out into the world, and say "I need help." You will be surprised at what happens, and I hope, grateful.