I read something in The Book of Q that reminded me so much of my father and his views on helping people, financially or otherwise.
The Book of Q says: “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even wrongdoers lend to their kind because they expect to be repaid. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of God. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good; he sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
My father taught me that when you help someone, you help them and move on quietly. You don’t go bragging to the world about how much good you have done or who was at the receiving end of this ego trip. When you help someone, it must come from the heart, and you must not expect anything back in return, because then it does not come from the heart.
Someone else dropped this gem one day: “When help will help, then you help. When help will not help, then walk away.”
In my life I have helped people (financially and with moral support and acceptance of who they are) on many occasions without expecting anything in return. To this day it gives me such joy to see them flourish with one achievement after another, because they know they still have someone in their corner who believes in them.
I have also helped people who were down and out, and they came back for more and more, and their tales of woe were stretched to the limit. I have learnt to recognise these people by the gleam in their eyes, and they did not resonate with me at all. Call me judgmental, but the moment I have this experience, all the red lights go on, and I very quickly reach the point where I say “I love you too much to help you any more, because I know you have it in you to use your own energy and create beautiful experiences for yourself.” Sometimes it works and that is just the shock they need to start doing something for themselves and regain their pride and sovereignty. Other times it does not work, and they spread malicious rumours about me, which I ignore.
There are also those people that I have helped unconditionally, and they insist on paying me back. To be honest, I would prefer that they pay forward, in other words spend that money or kindness on someone else that needs help. When they do that, they understand the joy of giving. When they insist on paying me back, they only understand the pride that comes from ego. In such instances I accept the repayment, because it is not for me to judge their motives once I have observed the motives.
This paragraph from The Book of Q confirms that no matter what the payback is, the point is that we should help one another unconditionally, because God’s light shines on all of us unconditionally.
Namaste.
