Most of us have heard of the expression: “It’s in giving that we truly receive.” One way to keep the wheel of giving and receiving primed and to keep the flow of abundance streaming from the source into your life is to practice the “Law of Tithing.” Tithing simply means to make a contribution. In ancient religious practices, tithing meant that you would give a tenth of your income to a religious organization or to your church. Tithing now has spread to different areas of peoples’ lives and I find it wonderful that we’re not just tithing religious and spiritual organizations, charities, or groups, but we’re also tithing each other. Helping one another is what living from your soul is all about. I am a very strong believer in tithing.  But remember, that while it’s important to give, you also have to be ready to receive.

Many people have no problem being givers, but when it’s time to receive, some people struggle.  There has to be an equal and balanced flow to giving and receiving, if it’s to work successfully. Many years ago when I was living alone and trying to make ends meet, I came home one day to find an envelope under my door. It was addressed to me and it was from a dear friend. In the letter she explained how she came into a little extra money and knew that I could use some and gave me a piece of it. I stood there and wept, wondering if my friend knew how much that meant to me at that time. Not just from the financial aspect but from an emotional and spiritual level. To me, it showed that people really cared. People can reach out and touch each others lives. She’d signed the note by explaining how she was practicing the act of tithing and she’d thought of me first.

When you tithe something to someone, they do not need to know whom it’s from. It’s the act of giving that’s important. We tithe all the time when we give to charities, or even when we volunteer our time, it’s a form of tithing, the act of giving back. Many years later, my friend had moved to a new city and was looking for a job and was struggling. I returned the gesture and gave her back what she’d given me, and then some. When she left me that gift years ago, she didn’t do it as a loan, or expect to get it back, but she did it as an act of kindness, gratitude, and love. I’ll never forget it. She may have given me money, but in reality at that time, she gave me hope.