A Blessing and a Dilemma...Opinions Please?

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
Hello everyone!

We had the nicest surprise today....the ladies group from our church stopped by with a holiday gift basket for us. The gift basket included not only the fixings for a holiday ham dinner--but also a card stuffed with CASH!

Now...we certainly can use it....and we are very thankful for such a blessing

BUT there are so many folks that are so much worse off than we....and we would have never asked for such charity. We are not quite sure how we feel about keeping such a gift.

How would you handle it? Would you simply consider it a blessing and send a "Thank you" letter....?

Or would you find a way to either return it or pass it along to another...?

--DaisyFace

(by the way--I feel so bad about keeping money that I did not earn!...even by mistake. The cashier at the grocery store scanned one of my coupons twice today...I feel like it is "bad karma" to keep the extra amount so I am going to give them back the difference next time I stop in. Am I crazy or what?)
 
M

ML

Guest
I would accept it graciously and just vow to do something nice for someone else who is less fortunate. Keep paying it forward! Love, ML
 

crazymama30

Active Member
It was given to you, it is meant for you, and whoever gave it to you must really want you to have it.

Take it. Maybe donate some to a worthy cause.
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I'm with the "pay it forward" group. Somebody decided you should have it. You can use it. Look at it as a gift from heaven. Then do what you can to help somebody else when they need it.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
I agree...it was meant for you. However, if you feel that strongly, use what you need and if there is any left, pass it on. If you need all of it, don't be reluctant to use it. Then, when times are better, pay it forward. We all need a helping hand at some point and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just pay it forward whenever and however you can.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
Keep the basket graciously. I would return the coupon money.
I'm a big fan of what you put out, comes back to you. Maybe the basket is some of that good energy you have put out for others in the past.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Take back the coupon money, of course. The basket and cash, keep. USe it or save it, or donate part of it. Chances are HIGH that you are NOT the only one who got it, and that those who are worse off also got cash and gifts. Sometimes you should just be thankful.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Or.... if you REALLY feel guilty... I mean REALLY, REALLY guilty... I could PM you MY address. :tongue:

I'm just sayin'!

Seriously, though, if it wasn't meant for you, they wouldn't have given it to you. I would take it, use what you can and/or find some way to pass along the blessing in whatever way you can.
 

ctmom05

Member
Keep the gift given to you by your church; such things are normally offered after considering the need. As the others have said, pay it forward .. .. .. perhaps to another member of the church family who YOU think might be in need.

If there is a church committee that plans the gift basket, be sure to send them a handwritten thank you note.

Merry Christmas Daisy.
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
Thank you, everyone--

Your opinions on this matter helped more than you know....and you are right, it is a bit of an "embarassment" issue--especially for husband.

husband was the one who answered the door when the church women stopped by, and he came back in the house shaking his head saying 'I can't BELIEVE" they gave us all this food....' and then when he saw the cash, he was ready to go chase those ladies down and force them to take it back.

I stopped him, thinking it would be rude to refuse the gift (especially because I am sure it is part of their holiday charity fund)...but husband was unconvinced....so I offered to post the story here so that he could see what others thought of the situation.

After reading the reponses, he has agreed to "Pay it forward" when times are better for us...

So thank you so much for weighing in!

And we are thinking that we will take some of the money and buy an "angel" gift for a needy children here in town...

I always feel bad if I can't afford to do something like that at the holidays, and we were going to have to skip it this year....and now I can help someone else after all...so this is a double blessing!

:D

--DaisyFace
 

aninom

New Member
No need to be embarrassed, I say. In my culture it is just as polite and pieous to accept gifts - no matter where they come from or how much they remind you of charity - as it is to give, since they enable you to tide yourself over so that you may pass it on another day.

Hello everyone!
(by the way--I feel so bad about keeping money that I did not earn!...even by mistake. The cashier at the grocery store scanned one of my coupons twice today...I feel like it is "bad karma" to keep the extra amount so I am going to give them back the difference next time I stop in. Am I crazy or what?)

Haha, I'm like that too! It's not that I'd feel overly guilty about it, I just like the feeling of knowing I've done the right thing. Maybe it's a little overboard when it comes down to small stuff like coupons, but hey, gotta save up my karma change.
 
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