“Phil…Phil… Good Deed Do-er.”

-The Wizard of Oz

I’m going to start with what for me is the beginning. Take a deep breath. Where did the air come from? Or the lungs which take it in? Or my awareness that my lungs are full? For me the answer is a God who wanted to share the joy of alive-ness.

Think about how you feel the moment something really great happens- you get a raise, your child is born, you find the perfect something for someone you love. When something like these happen the first thing I want to do is tell someone. Call somebody up and say, “How cool is this? Hurrah!” Sharing the joy is a big part of the delight we feel in discovery and achievement.

So here’s God. Exploring the joy of being alive. But it can be magnified exponentially in the sharing of it. It takes a sacrifice. No longer could God be the “Only”. Instead he becomes the creator of many.

So with God’s gift as the beginning, all giving becomes “giving back”. Our gifts are not an initiation of the giving process but a continuation. So whatever we give- time, money or care- is small recompense for the much larger gift we receive with each breath.

The second guideline for giving is the criteria for who shall be gifted. God’s answer seems to be “everyone”. When you start with no criteria for the worthiness of the recipient you are freed from judging. God gives breath indiscriminately. No strings attached.

For me this suggests that it’s not my place to hold people accountable for my gifts to them. There are a million caveats here. But each disclaimer puts the giver in a position to feel superior to the receiver. That’s a slippery slope. And I’d posit that it sucks a lot of the joy out of the giving. It takes away from sharing and makes the receiver “earn” the gift. And certainly most days I don’t earn my chance to breathe. God just gives it to me.

The next part of giving is keeping our eyes open. I don’t have much money, “What can I do?” With your eyes open the possibilities become endless and surprise and delight await us.

Do your friends do charity runs or walks or bike rides and ask you to donate. Rather than say, I can’t afford it, send $5. Or $10. I think it’s less about the amount than recognizing your friend’s commitment with a pat on the back. And I’m guessing that anyone who has a computer and internet access can probably afford a $5 donation from time to time. It’s a small price to give to help a friend and breathe a little easier.

Organized giving is a great reward on tax day. If you give to a recognized charity you get to take that money off your income total. So, if you give $100 you really gave $70 of your own and $30 you would have paid to Uncle Sam. So pay attention to that and take full advantage.

There are also many opportunities which won’t influence your bottom line on tax day. But they’ll impact both you and the recipient mightily. When you get paid, stash five $1 bills in your car. The next time you’re approached by a homeless guy at a light take a deep breath, open the window and give away one of those dollars.

The unexpected reward to you will be that you don’t have to avert your eyes. You can acknowledge that person’s humanity honestly and with humility. They’re sharing their life with you just as you’re sharing yours with them. And what they do with the money is not really up to you. You’re just paying God back for the last breath you took.

My neighborhood just celebrated Christmas at our annual Progressive Christmas Party. For the past three years we’ve adopted a family through the Austin Christmas Bureau and collected money and gifts at our party. Some folks buy presents, some give money, some deliver gifts. We’re not a recognized unit. Just a bunch of friends, and yet we made a difference in a three year old’s Christmas. And it was fun and easy.

Fun and Easy. That brings up another really important part about giving. Opportunities are everywhere. Plant a tree, feed a homeless person, take a meal to someone who’s stuck at home, paint a house, buy a toy, clean up a river or open your house to visitors. Your chances for joy are endless. And giving is not better when it hurts. Giving is better when it makes your cheeks rosy and your heart feel big.

There are so many ways to give and people and causes which are great, that you don’t ever need to do something you don’t enjoy. If you hate carpentry don’t volunteer to swing a hammer for Habitat For Humanity. But if you love to cook-bring food for lunch.

If you love dogs, take your little-old-lady neighbor’s poodle for a walk. If you care about homeless people, volunteer at a shelter or have protein bars in your car to pass out at a light.

The list goes on and on. It just takes opening your eyes to the possibilities. Not all acts of kindness bear fruit on tax day. But each gift is an opportunity to acknowledge the gift we have been given in the breath we took while giving it.