What drives people to volunteer at the local food bank or homeless shelter? What inspires people to collect thousands of items and prepare care packages to send to troops in the Mid-East? What gives mothers and fathers the courage to bring an orphan into their home and raise them as their own? What motivates strangers to unselfishly rescue their neighbor in times of distress?

A letter to the Editor of Time magazine in the January 15, 2007 issue I believe eloquently answers these questions in simple words.

Commenting on Time magazine’s Person of the Year being “You,” Galen Panger of Stanford, CA, wrote

“…Your story said Web 2.0 is ‘a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter’ and about people ‘helping one another for nothing.’ I just want to emphasize this point. People will help one another if they believe it matters…”

“People will help one another if they believe it matters…”

Whoa…this really resonated with me, hitting a deep chord.

Yes, I want to help people when I believe my help will matter, I agreed.

Is that a factor that drives you?

Has there ever been a time in your life when someone needed help and you raced to their aid because you knew your support would make a positive difference?

On the contrary, though, has there been a time that someone needed help but you weren’t sure you should be charitable? You hesitated, maybe even walked away?

Perhaps you feared being rebuked for extending a helping hand? Or having them turn on you like an angry dog ready to bite? Maybe you were concerned about your generosity being taken advantage of and the benefit of any help given lost? Or perhaps you didn’t know why you didn’t jump to help and shrugged your shoulders in apathy toward their want?

Millions of knowledgeable Web users are downloading programs and information free of charge onto the Web making it easier for other Internet users to utilize the Internet’s resources and grow in understanding. I’ve used these free resources myself, and have been grateful for them.

Why do they give freely? Often for future profits they hope to reap, but many, because they want to help others who can benefit from their contribution.

It just occurred to me that I started writing this blog because I hoped to help my readers gain a little more spiritual light in their life. I expected nothing in particular in return, and wasn’t sure what to expect, except the joy that comes from knowing a burden may have been lifted somewhere, a load made lighter and a chuckle or peace settle into thought that might not otherwise be there.

Everytime I get an encouraging email or comment that someone’s day was a bit brighter from something they read on this page, I am inspired to keep on writing. Why? Because I know my efforts made a difference.

I believe the same motivation inspires millions of other bloggers likewise.

I bet the same rule applies to your efforts to reach out and help too!

We give when we know our giving matters. A nice “thought for the day” to contemplate…

It also underscores the need to let other people know that when they give, it really did matter. Our gratitude encourages them to keep up their efforts so the world will continue to receive their blessing.

Sooo…, happy giving!

The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.

~ Mary Baker Eddy