Put Up AND Shut Up

The year was 1991. America had entered the first Gulf war, Operation Desert Storm. Back in Kansas City, where I was living at the time, one wealthy woman decided to support the troops in a unique way.

She went out and bought yellow ribbons. Hundreds of them. Then she wrapped them around all the trees all up and down Ward Parkway, a major thoroughfare in Kansas City,. Missouri. She spent hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. It was her way of showing support of the troops in Kuwait.

Nice gesture, huh?

Wait. There’s more to this story.

Then she called up the news media, and announced what she had done to all within radio and television tower reception distance. She became a local media darling. Soon the act of showing support took second place to the act of self aggrandizement.

Jesus said:

1.“Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven.
2. So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4. So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” -- Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)

It has always been a pet peeve of mine when someone donates to charity and brags about it, then sits back and reaps the accolades of their peers. I have done some charitable things many times, but no one knows. No one but my ex-wife and the ones I helped, and God. And that’s the way it should be.

It is a very good thing to be charitable. And if you want rewards on Earth, it is certainly a good and honorable way to receive them. It certainly beats doing evil things for attention.

But if you want rewards from the only One that matters, keep your mouth shut about it.

Here is a list of some of the charities where you may make donations for relief of the victims left devastated by Hurricane Katrina:

Baptist Men's Disaster Recovery Project.
Feed the Children
Red Cross
Salvation Army
Catholic Charities
Samaritan's Purse
more
Thanks to Tug and Pero

Here are instructions for donating:

1. Choose one, two, or all of the above charities, or any charity of your choice.
2. Make your donations.
3. Keep your mouth shut about it.
4. Feel good about yourself and know that you have a reward in Heaven.

Lie Of The Day (from Laura Ingraham's web site)
"George Bush couldn't come out and talk to me because he doesn't have a noble cause" for the war," claimed Cindy Sheehan, still in Crawford, and obviously peeved that Katrina blew her off the front pages.


THE TRUTH:
She already had her meeting, and she has admitted that she's glad the president didn't meet with her this time. Why? Because it would have destroyed her "momentum." Sad.