In a perfect world, everyone would get along. In a perfect world, everyone would have enough to eat. In a perfect world, no one would be an unhealthy weight. In a perfect world, education would be free. In a perfect world, all the dogs and cats and bunnies and guinea pigs and other pets would have loving, caring homes.
We don’t live in a perfect world.
When I get discouraged, I remind myself that I can make a difference in this imperfect world. I have given a happy, loving home to many dogs, cats, fish, rats, mice, lizards, guinea pigs, and even some snakes and other creepy crawlies. I do my best to walk away from heated confrontations, preferring to talk things out when tempers have cooled. We donate to the local food bank, collect pet food for our favorite rescue group, and we volunteer our time to various organizations.
In this Christmas season, everywhere we go, we see opportunities to give. The Salvation Army bell ringers stand guard at the doors of the stores we frequent. The radio station is collecting toys with the help of a television channel and several car dealerships. Christmas trees at the mall are decorated with paper angels to adopt. The firemen are also collecting toys. The neighborhood kids have been by twice to collect cans for their school food drive.
What can you spare? The food banks are desperate for peanut butter. Do you have an extra coat that you could drop off at the Goodwill? The animal shelters would love to have all those old towels that keep falling out of your linen closet. That magazine you just finished would be a treasure at the senior center. Look around you… surely you have something to give. And don’t forget your time. Can you spare an hour to sit with a lady in a nursing home? How about two hours of walking dogs at a local shelter? Ten minutes to write a letter to a soldier who is far away from friends and family? A minute to offer up a prayer?
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about these things because everyone would have enough. Enough time, enough money, enough family, enough security, enough love. We don’t live in a perfect world. But in the moment that you give, you blur your vision just enough to make the world appear perfect. And that’s good enough for me.
