It is one thing to give money to church, food to a food shelf, or donation to another worthy cause—which are all very good and necessary. It is not as easy to give or receive charity when it is personal. I know this firsthand, and try to remember to always keep the feelings of those we help in mind. Most want to be able to take care of themselves, and it isn’t easy to do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matt 7:12).

When I was divorced, and a single mother, I was on an extremely tight budget. I didn’t make much, and had to stretch every penny. At the grocery store, I would have only so much money that I could spend, and no more. I got very good at keeping a running tally in my mind, rounding up the dollar amount of everything I put in my basket. When I got close to the amount that I could afford to spend, I stopped shopping, or put back some things if there were more important items that I still had to buy.

The clerks at my store all knew me with my Guide Dog, and they would ask me when I would check out, “How much today, Marcia?” It was almost like a game, and they were always surprised at how close I was to the exact amount of my bill. There were some months that I literally had only $5-10 left before I would get paid again. It often came down to the wire. It was enough, but just barely.