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Teach me to spend for Others as I spend for Myself. |
If, through Thy grace, I hold more wealth than others, teach me
to share the surplus with those who have nothing. For it is Thou
who art playing poor in one body and acting rich in another. Thou
gavest the wealth to Thyself, while playing rich, to test whether
Thou wouldst Thyself be broad enough to give Thy riches to Thyself,
playing poor.
The fortunate one who cares not for the unfortunate, cannot feel
Thine omnipresence. Those blinded by selfish opulence have to be
poor again, if they see not Thee in the abode of the poor. The unfeeling
rich must be poor again and learn to part with comforts, that they
may feel the pinch and pangs of their own and others' wants.
Blessed are those who share Thy gifts, which were given to them
that they might learn to give. But those who keep locked away Thine
useful gifts, mildewing with idleness, while many of their brothers
are wailing by the wayside for help, die in the poverty of an unexpanded
soul.
To die rich, without giving anything, is to die poor. And to pass
the portals of death as poor, because of giving to others, is really
to be rich.
Teach us to consider and feel for others, who have already lost
wealth or health, more than we would for our own loss of prosperity
or of bodily strength. If we shiver even at the thought of poverty
for ourselves, teach us to sympathize still more with those who
are already under the wheels of want.
Teach us to spend for others' necessities as happily and freely
as we spend for our own real needs. Teach us not to love Thy gifts
and forget Thee, the Giver of all gifts.
Those who think more of Thy gifts than of Thee. separate themselves
from Thee.
Those who offer Thy gifts to others freely, even as Thou didst give
to them, find themselves as one in the many selves of all.
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