Many people see Thanksgiving as a time to appreciate friends and gatherings. We look forward to delicious food, clinking glasses, and smiling faces as we gather together. However, some people use this holiday as a time to make special offerings. They understand that giving and receiving are the same, and they are thankful for the opportunity.
The first reason to be grateful for giving is the joy it brings to others. Performing favors like running errands, making a friendly visit, or preparing a dish for someone is both helpful and rewarding. This type of participation requires someone’s time and aligns with the recipient’s needs. It’s easy to dismiss helping others by claiming you are ‘too busy.’ However, the rewards far outweigh the effort involved. Whether you’re with friends and family or alone, someone needs your help. Meeting that need can reduce feelings of loneliness or uselessness and fill your heart with joy.
The second reason to be grateful for giving is the law of abundance. The concept of tithing has been around for centuries. All giving multiplies many times over. For every ten dollars shared, the return is at least tenfold. For every seed dropped from a tree, the multiplication factor is endless. The law of financial abundance works the same way. The more we share our resources, the more they accumulate. The return might come most unexpectedly, but the miracles of tithing never fail.
The third reason is the joy of sharing. When we share time, effort, and money, we affirm abundance instead of lack. The happiness this brings to others returns to the giver’s heart and completes the cycle of sharing and receiving. Even if someone doesn’t show appreciation for the efforts, the rewards can still be internal. When we share out of love, the intrinsic value outweighs all else. Extending ourselves to others reminds us that, regardless of how depleted we might feel, we always have a reserve of love ready to be tapped into.
Thanksgiving has persisted since our earliest settlers in America because of the joy it brings. Even if it seems otherwise, giving is always a gain and never a loss. We don’t need to know what happens after the seed drops to Mother Earth to understand that abundance continues long after the tree has given everything it has.
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Donna Marks is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and addictions counselor in Palm Beach, Florida. She has worked with over 6,000 clients. Donna’s struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Adult Education, then became Certified in Addictions, Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Hypnosis, and Sex Therapy. Donna developed an award-winning addiction training program at Palm Beach Community College. She co-owns an outpatient treatment program and serves as a consultant to treatment centers. For 36 years, she has taught A Course in Miracles.
Donna is the author of three books: the multi-award-winning title Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure, and Learn, Grow, Forgive: A Path to Spiritual Success, The Healing Moment: Seven Paths to Turn Messes into Miracles of Love, and her latest fiction, Fortis & Sapiente – A Tale of Two Lovers Who Successfully Navigate the Murky Waters of Love. Donna is a public speaker and has shared her methods with millions of listeners on podcasts and radio shows.
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