“Proportion thy charity to the strength of thy estate, lest God proportion thy estate to the weakness of thy charity. Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause thou lose thy reward. Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand and a closed mouth.”
Francis Quarles (1592-1644) English poet in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers, compiled by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1895) 25.
I am headed to Chicago today and plan to visit an elderly man who has proportioned his giving to the strength of his estate. I hope to encourage him as much as his open-handed life has inspired me.
How will you proportion your charity?
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