| Many people in Unity know the benefits of tithing, but earlier this year two members of Unity Church of Anderson in Anderson, Indiana, took the concept of giving to new heights. Andrew and Amber Jones decided to give up something dramatic—all of their income and any money that came their way—for 40 days. It was a leap of faith. 40 Days of Giving The Joneses are not wealthy. They are middle-class Americans. Andrew works two jobs. Amber is a full-time student. They have a preschooler and an infant. Two years ago, the young couple began donating frequently to a handful of charities. It was important to them to give to others, but Andrew began wondering if what they were doing was enough. As a writer and editor, he was looking for a concept for a new book. His questions about giving and receiving led him to want to “put giving to the test.” He wanted to see what might happen if he embraced giving as the central theme of his life. Setting an Intention Although the couple was in agreement about the idea, Amber had reservations. “To be completely honest, I initially thought, ‘Are you kidding me?'” she recalls. “I kept thinking, ‘How on earth can we afford to do this?' And then it hit me, we'll never be able to afford this. But we are young and we are able, and no matter what happens at the end of this project I'm hoping that we will be better people for it.” So together the couple set an intention: Giving away my full income for 40 days will produce tangible beneficial changes in my life and/or thinking. The idea was to stretch beyond giving solely because it is a worthwhile effort. They wanted to see if they could experience tangible benefits from giving. Andrew chronicled their experience in the blog, 40 Days of Giving. Money to pay bills during the project came from the couple's emergency account—a fund they contribute to regularly. The Joneses' 40-day journey was remarkable. New giving opportunities manifested. The couple stepped out of their “comfort zone” and offered to buy groceries, breakfast and gas for strangers. They purchased and gave away grocery store gift cards. Friends got generous birthday gifts and waiters received sizeable tips. Cash was dropped into charitable donation boxes. With faith, they faced their fears of lack and limitation. “This is … what this whole experiment was about—specifically [looking] for opportunities to give in our daily lives,” Andrew says. “Everyday is an opportunity to make a new connection with someone else, to form a new relationship, and to move a little closer to the sort of person you want to be.” The couple began receiving in surprising ways as well. Andrew received an unexpected bonus. Friends invited them over or took them out for dinner. A forgotten $100 bill was found. The Power of Giving The Joneses were more than halfway through their 40 days of giving when they began attending Unity Church of Anderson. “Personally, I was taken by their willingness to test out the power and experience of giving. Amber and Andrew both have a strong social conscience and a number of community-oriented ideas. … They certainly seem to be grounded and responsible, bright and inquisitive,” says minister Brad Langdon. “When we see the universe as benevolent, we have an unquestioned knowing faith in a harmonious relationship with life. If we … are willing to live with blind faith and trust in the goodness of the universe, we will begin to see its care and love for us show up. Eventually we come to understand that our fear and defensiveness restrict our prosperity,” continues Langdon. Lessons Learned Though finding ways to give for 40 days was arduous at times, the Joneses were steadfast. On day 40 Andrew wrote, “Today I woke up with a sense of relief that this crazy roller coaster ride which I got us on was finally coming to an end. Don't let this seem as if I'm disappointed in the experiment—far from it. I think this has been one of the best experiences of my life.” When asked about what he learned during this project, Andrew says, “Studies show that the brain responds equally, if not more enthusiastically, to giving a gift or reward as it does to receiving one. I believe that both religion and science are beginning to agree on the notion that giving is of great benefit to the giver. [These results] resonate strongly with the famous biblical statement on giving: ‘It is better to give than to receive.'” For Amber, the lessons were more personal. “Before the project began, I really thought that I was a good giver, but I realized that giving away such a large portion of our money was much tougher emotionally than I expected,” she says. Giving “with a joyous heart” was also a challenge. “[It] didn't always come as easily as I would have liked, especially when we had an unexpected sum of money come in midway through the project,” she continues. “As I talked about in the blog, I threw a tantrum about giving up ‘my' money. Days like that one really pushed my limitations. I realized that for me it's easy to give a little bit, but giving up everything let out a lot of my fears and worries, and [the] ‘me, me, me' aspects of life.” The Joneses encourage others to engage in a specific giving challenge. “I can't say our method is for everyone, but I do believe that giving is for everyone,” Andrew notes. “The problem is that few people focus on giving carefully and mindfully. I think that all people would live richer, more fulfilled lives if they made giving one of the pillars of their lives.” |
The Extra Challenge In addition to giving away their income, the Joneses challenged others to raise $10,000 for Heifer International, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance and sustainability. It's a charity to which the Joneses donate regularly. If successful, Andrew agreed to cut and donate his treasured, almost waist-length hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Although they did not reach the $10,000 goal, Andrew decided to donate his hair anyway. “My hair will probably be a bit healthier now and this may prevent the thinning I was beginning to notice,” he jokes. “Once again, the act of giving holds within it a reward, which has been a recurring theme throughout this experiment, and is of course the very concept that inspired me to start it in the first place.” |
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Giving It All Away
By Lysa Allman-Baldwin
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40 Days of Giving
8/10/2010 3:30:06 PM
