Creatively Unfiltered Grace

I get it—how people can alienate you without understanding your circumstances, or the latter not wanting to understand them. Sometimes, humans can be inherently selfish, don’t you think?

Let me give you an example:

Friend 1: “It’s the holidays, just watch—people are going to ask me for money.”
Friend 2: “Just say you don’t have. Put on your status ‘I can’t lend you money because I don’t have.’”
Me: Mouth open “Whaaat!?”

Here’s another example:

Family Member 1: “Don’t even think about asking me for money, because you must look after your own finances.”
Me: Mouth open “Whaaat!?”

Selfishness in relationships can be hard to digest. Don’t get me wrong—some people are leeches. You lend them money, and they never return it. It’s the same thing with Tupperware—return NOT back to sender.

But then there are others who genuinely need the money, and they will return what they’ve borrowed. And then you get those rare angels who don’t even want the money back or whatever you lent them—those are the ones I’m talking about, the true definition of selflessness. Amen to those folks that expect nothing in return!

But what really blows my mind are the ones who know their friends or neighbors are struggling or trying to get their lives in order, and still refuse to help where they can. They have to give but won’t. How do they sleep at night, knowing someone you know—someone who isn’t a stranger—is going without food till the end of the month?

And then, tomorrow, they’ll donate food to a stranger. How do you sleep at night?

How can you call yourself a good person when you HAVE to give but don’t want to, simply because of whatever insecurities or judgments you have? You know your friend or neighbor is struggling, and yet you withhold support because “they must learn” or because “they wanted to invest in a business.” I’m stuck on the fact that people HAVE to give away but won’t because of whatever reason they come up with.

Do you know how difficult it is to concentrate when you’re hungry? I intermittent fast, and trust me, that hour before I break my fast is brutal. Hunger affects your ability to focus and think clearly. At the end of the day, who gave them that money, who provided for them, who blessed them with what they have? God did. So why not give a little back? It blows my mind!

It blows my mind that someone will pray for you and with you about your finances, and yet they are the ones who have, but won’t share. This is why some people don’t go to church anymore—the hypocrisy of it all! It’s frustrating to see people say one thing but act differently. Generosity and selfishness in the same breath—how does that make sense?

Thank you for listening (or reading) my rant that’s been on my chest since last week!