Meant To Be Shared ~ By Dionna Sanchez

I visited his home in Graceland this past summer.  I had always liked Elvis.  His songs; his music.  But I learned something about him during that visit that has given me a new appreciation and sense of admiration for this man.  The fact that he always held on to his faith in God and that knowing how blessed he was - he shared it.  He gave away cars, money - you name it.  He helped pay off people's debts.  He said that money is meant to be shared.  As it's shared, it grows.  It is just worthless paper if all it does is sit in a bank.  If only we all felt that way!

Sharing.  It's something we all struggle with.  From the very moment we are young, we are taught to share.  Yet we all seem to fight against it.  "It's mine" is our common mentality.  And often, even if we can convince our children to have sharing hearts; somehow we seem to have lost that giving spirit once we mature and reach adulthood.  Anything we earn we tend to keep for ourselves.

So, this past summer when my family took a long car drive across the U.S. - Graceland was one of our stops.  But along the way, we had to learn how to share.  We shared music, snacks, water bottles, magazines, mirrors, and motel beds.  It was a growing and stretching experience for all of us.  For 3 weeks none of us had any time to ourselves.  We were in each other's company and we were continually challenged as to where our attitude was in regards to helping, giving, and sharing with one another.

I found, that I can be very prideful.  If I buy a box of m&m's and make them last for 3 days and my child eats theirs in one day - then why should I share?  Or if I saved up for months and months to have spending money on the trip, then why should I buy something for someone else out of my hard-earned money? That's how I can be sometimes.  That's how a lot of us can be sometimes.  But God is teaching me how sharing something isn't really giving up or losing something.  In fact, you gain something.  I've found that I don't really need the extra food I'm sharing.  I'm not hungrier if I don't have more to munch on.  And if I buy something for someone or give away some money, then I gain something deeper. I gain happiness at adding happiness to their lives.

Sharing is a very basic action.  Yet most of us (if we are honest with ourselves) don't share very much.   We hoard and keep the best for ourselves.  I want to be different.  I want to be more like Elvis.  I want to give things away and share.  If God blesses me, I want to also bless others.  Even if I only have a little, there is bound to be something I can share. Whether it's my home, my talents, my money, or material things...I want to share.

I think my girls have been learning that too.  More people are happy if more people can share.  There is more to go around.  And it just plain feels good to share.  It feels good to put a smile on someone else's face or to know that you can help someone else no matter how small.  The notion fights against the very mentality of our culture.  But I hope to fight with it and live a life of sharing, giving, and loving.  I want my money to be worth more.  I want my time to be worth more.  I want my things to value more.  And that will only happen if they are given away and shared.

~ Dionna Sanchez shares her heart with women to help them know they are not alone.  You can read more from her heart at her blog - Beauty in the Storm - http://www.beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com