If you give a mouse a cookie....

As a child I loved the book "If you give a mouse a cookie" Seeing that I was a smart ass kid I totally knew that it was about not being greedy, but I didn't care cause damn it I liked mice and loved cookies and this book had both!(and in my kinder class we ate cookies when we read it YAY!) If you don't know about the book basically you give a mouse a cookie he wants milk, then he want a napkin, then he wants a napkin, bla bla bla, and so on he keeps wanting. I got the message don't be greedy, but I fear that a lot of kids may have mistaken it. Maybe some though... "Don't give because people will take advantage" I am not sure if anyone thought this or maybe they were just thinking about cookies, but today it made me think about giving. So hear we go a little about what you give.

TO GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE IS TO GIVE YOURSELF A HUG....
       There seems to be two main fields of thought on giving.... One school is if you give all of yourself there is nothing left of you. The other school is if you give all of yourself you gain a lot more in turn. I tend to follow the second school of thought. Giving is awesome and you get so much in return. Now is it always a eye for an eye. Well, no.... I can give some one $25 and they could give me $25 back, but what is the point of that... It is not giving it is just an exchange... I could give someone $25 and see their family eat... They get food, but I get something way more in return. It is a feeling, but to me that it is way more than $25.
       Now of course there are bad givers too. You can give and give and give to a person who can't give to themselves, but in the end you are not giving that person anything. It goes to the saying, "Give me a fish and you feed me for a day, teach me to fish and you feed me for life" Now, I fully believe sometimes you have to give someone a fish just so they can make it to you teaching them to fish, but this is soooo true as well.
       Ok now that I have been on both sides like a hardcore ping pong match let me get where I am going with this. What is it to truly give. I feel the ultimate gift you can give is you. This is mimicking the ultimate gift we have been given.. HIM(Jesus for my less up spirited friends) When yo devote your life to giving it to others you will be surprised how much you get in return. I bring this all up because I know someone who gives a lot... A LOT of themselves. It was amazing looking at how much they had given of themselves and how much they had gotten in return. Now, it was not the most obvious.. They don't live in a mansion, they don't roll in a Bentley, Diamonds all over the place, and such. But, what I noticed was how god seemed to have worked out a few little details for some of the hazards in their life. Their gifts were returning the gift that they had given. They made givers out of others who could help them out. We would all like to think that if we give a meal to a homeless person then go buy a scratch off we will win. SIDEBAR STORY: I was at a gas station about 3 years ago.. A lady who appeared shaky approached me from the pump next to me. I had just gotten $20 in gas and a $5 scratch off. I had a $20 in my pocket too. She said to me that she was in an abusive relationship and had just left her husband trying to get out of town. Her car was packed with her belongings. She said she was out of cash and could not use the credit cards. I gave her the $20. She thanked me, got her gas and drove off. I got in my car though nothing of it... scratched my ticket and won $20... It really only replaced the $20 I had given, but I think it was Gods way of taking care of it for me. SIDEBAR OVER... Back to what I was saying we can't give with the intention of getting one thing we want in return. We give to give and know that God will give it back to us!

This one was a bit of a rambler and I am sorry for that. It is hard to explain how and what giving is, but I guess in the end it is doing something with you heart with no intention to get back, but faith that it will come full circle. I am glad my friend got to see it come full circle. Show the faith and keep it!

So if you give a mouse a cookie... HOPEFULLY HE WILL ASK FOR A GLASS OF MILK.. and hopefully you aren't afraid to give it again.

Ryan