...to give

@dictionary.com there are lots of definitions for the word give.  For the content of my post today, I am only going to use a few of them that are most relevent to my thoughts and some things I have been thinking about and working thru:

give =
to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow;
to impart or communicate; to furnish, provide, or proffer; 
to relinquish or sacrifice; to apply fully or freely;
to be warm and open in relationships with other persons  

II Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Giving takes effort.  Giving takes time.  Giving takes motivation.  Giving takes planning.  Giving takes putting someone else first...yourself last.  Giving takes continuing in a difficult situation that doesn't seem to be going anywhere.  Giving means you let that go without any expectation of return.  Giving means you are not cold in your attitude.  Giving means you are rewarded for your hard, very hard work; sometimes not in the way you expect, sometimes not in this life, sometimes never from the individual(s) involved...but giving 100% selfless brings peace.  Giving means you see a need and are willing to fulfill it to the best of your ability.  Giving takes a pure heart.  Giving dissolves your own hurts.  Giving takes focus.  Giving provides a bigger picture to the problems at hand.  Giving makes friends.  Giving requires sacrifice.  Giving makes someone feel special.  Giving is a gift.  Giving is love.  Giving gives life.

What does it mean to you to give? How do you give? When do you give? When do you quit giving?  Can you give too much?  Is it possible to give too little?  Do you struggle to give?  Do you benefit from giving?  What are your thoughts about giving???