BS: Have I Given Anything Today?

Subject: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 12:19 PM

I guess this thread is a toss up. The title is the first line of a song: Help For The Needy, recorded by the Fairfield Four. The first verse, from memory is:

"Have I given anything today?
Have I helped a needy soul on the way
Just to know I gave my best
When I go to take my rest
That my name, my name, my name be written, today

If people want the rest of the lyrics, I'll pull out the recording and get it right.

Every once in awhile, between all the BS threads about politics and what someone considers "shite" it seems like there should be an occasional thread about what "we" should be doing with our lives. The song starts out "Have I," not have you. I find that question a good one for me. It reminds me of another line from a kind of silly song I wrote many years ago "We are drowning in the details of life."
That's often true for me. At the end of most days, if I ask myself the question.. "have I given anything today?" I'm afraid the answer honestly has to be "no." I was too busy drowning in the details of life. It's easy enough to see where other people could be doing more.
But, the only life we really have any control over is ours.

And so I ask myself.. have I given anything today? and I realize the day is half over, and I haven't. I guess I'd better get off the computer and give my Mom a call. I know she'll really appreciate hearing from me. At least I will have given something of myself today to someone else.

Any thoughts on this you want to share?

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Amos
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 12:40 PM

Hell, it's a foine plan, Jerry!!

:>)

A

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 01:07 PM

Yes, I am busy giving today, and most days, I am too busy giving to describe it. The doing is enough for me; I don't feel a need to talk about it except with close intimates.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jeanie
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 02:01 PM

That's a good question, Jerry, and well worth thinking over. My thoughts on this: It's not possible to know whether one has given or not (you can *think* you have given, when in fact maybe you haven't; you can think you haven't given, when in fact it turns out you *have*, because someone tells you about it).

I can't know whether I have given, BUT I certainly know when I have *received*, and it is such a good thing to point that out to the giver and thank them, because only then will they know about their giving !

I had a lovely reminder of the importance of this the other day. I'd been teaching a drama lesson with a group of 7 year olds. We had been acting out the adventures of "Grannie Mainland" arriving for a holiday on a remote Scottish island. Standard kind of dramary teachery stuff, not what I would call especially 'giving'. At the end of the lesson, one girl came bounding up to me, totally glowing and her eyes shining: "Oh, I LOVED what we've been doing. Thank you so much. I LOVE this." She clearly hadn't planned to say this, it just burst out of her spontaneously.

It's not up to me to decide or know when I am "giving" - but lovely to get and to give affirmations such as that one. Nothing nicer than the feeling that you have been in the right place at the right time and had a positive effect.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 03:00 PM

Giving thanks is one of the sweetest ways of "giving," Jeanie. And you're right. It is not necessarily for us to know if we are giving.
I'm sure that we've all experienced having someone thank us for something we said to them, when we can't even remember what it was.
Some of the best giving, is listening with compassion.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: jimmyt
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 05:43 PM

Susan, I sort of think that Jerry's question was rhetorical. I don't think he was asking anyone to "Count their works," as St James describes them in his Epistle, but merely what he personally finds in his own life. The reality is that I find it hard to think Jerry Rasmussen makes it 24 hours without "giving back" to his world.

I do feel that making the effort to self-evaluate as Jerry refers, it, for most of us, is probably a very good idea. It is easy to be so busy in the world "being busy" that you find out you are kind of spinning your wheels.

I know I will be trying to think about this every day, now. What have I done today to make it a better world. Not what have I said, thought or complained about. I had a boss once that told us, "I am happy to hear your complaints as long as you have a suggestion or solution to improve the situation." Anyway, thanks, Jerry for the thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 07:10 PM

I give thanks to the Lord for every happy day he has given me....
Best wishes.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 07:33 PM

I agree with Sue ,just live your life,help others when they need it, and dont ever think we humans are in the least important.
I often think it strange that god picked humans as the chosen species when we are so unimportant to the wellbeing of the planet.

Apparently if some great plague were to wipe out humanity and of course, god with them,the planet would immediately start to recover environmentaly.

The ozone layer would start to repair itself, and before long the earth would become once again a "garden of Eden".

If the family of fungii were wiped out by some fungi virus,the earth would be a lifeless desert in under twenty years.

Makes you wonder if theology is just a product of they human ego...Ake

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: jimmyt
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 10:02 PM

well no mushrooms on my future pizzas!

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: beardedbruce
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 10:04 PM

Ake:

"Makes you wonder if theology is just a product of they human ego"


Not to wonder- it is.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 10:13 PM

Yes, I think I have.

But I don't like to discuss it.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 09:45 AM

Hey, Rap: I didn't start this thread to have people list their good acts... I have no doubt that we all do them, and the less we try to draw attention to ourselves because of them, the better. I have a son who has trained to be a literacy volunteer, and I'm very proud of him for that. He had a real hard time, growing up, so he is particularly compassionate to people who feel out of the circle. It's taken him a long time to finally decide to do it, and he's just starting so he has some self-doubts about whether he will be able to do it well. I've told him that he will quickly find that he will receive far more than he can give, just helping to lift someone else up. That's something we all realize. The pleasure and gratitude for being able to help someone else is more than enough of a repayment for any good we do.

I had a very good friend for many years who had a very cynical attitude about everything. She said that there is no such thing as an unselfish act, because when you do good, it makes you feel good. And, therefor in her mind, it was a selfish act because you did it to make yourself feel good. I always told her she was confusing motivation with how you feel after doing a good act. Like everything else of course, motivation is the key. If you do good acts to draw attention to yourself and make yourself look good, then
there is no value in your acts. If you do good acts out of love, then you will be blessed with an internal satisfaction. There is no need to draw attention to the act, because you have already been rewarded.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 11:50 AM

I know that, Jerry. But in a lot of things I'm a very private person and, in fact, being "caught" doing something like contributing to the local food bank or homeless shelter (I do both, actually, and more) would embarrass me.

I suspect that my upbringing was along the lines of Luke 18:10-13 and Mark 12: 38-44 -- and similar teachings in other religions.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 12:14 PM

You're richer for that, Rap. I have a brother-in-law who is perhaps the most generous man I have ever known. And I only know of his generosity of spirt by accident. He never talks about what he does for others and it is only when someone mentions what he has done for them that we even know about it. I believe that what we know is just the tip of the iceberg.

I think of the teaching about the Pharisees making a great show by praying in public to impress people with their piety. Their reward is only of the moment.

I believe that true giving teaches humility and thankfulness. Never pridefulness.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 12:51 PM

Jimmy.....Thanks for the wee smile, but I hope you didnt miss the message.

Bearded Bruce ....I knew some day we would agree .....Now back to the status quo.......All the best to both ...Ake

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 12:58 PM

In Judaism, the highest "mitzva" ( meaning both law and blessing) is to give without telling or knowing the person you're giving to.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 01:55 PM

Hey, Ellen: That's kinda like not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Same principal.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 06:35 PM

Jerry,

I need the lyrics to the entire song. Please help me out.

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 08:41 PM

Will do, Guest: I want to go back and listen to the recording by the Fairfield Four to make sure I get it right. I don't sing the lead on this song, so I'm not sure of all the words. If you want to e-mail me at any time, I'm at [e-mail].

My wuartet just had practice this morning, ahving a great time... we've gone back to some of the songs we haven't done in a long time, so we didn't sing this one..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Have I Given Anything Today?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 06 Feb 05 - 08:17 AM

O.K., Guest:

These are the words to Help For The Needy. I'll also post the lyrics up above..

Have I given anything today?
Have I helped some needy soul on my way?
Just to know I've done my best
Let me go home to take my rest
Then my name, my name, my name be written there today

CHORUS:

   Today (oh today) Today (oh today)
   Have I helped some needy soul on my way
   Just to know I've done my best
   Let me go home to take my rest
   Then my name, my name, my name be written there today

Have I given anything today?
Have I helped some needy soul on my way?
From the storm to the sun
Have I wounded anyone?
To weep a weep a weep or worry Lord, today

The way the song is sung is that the tenor sing the first verse, and the bass sings the second, with an interchange of each verse a couple of times. The harmony answers (oh today), but otherwise just keeps rhythm and harmony going with do-doots. We learned the song from the Fairfield Four, as I mentioned above.

Jerry