The Other Side of Charity

We live in a culture that encourages and applauds charitable giving and compassionate service. But when we find ourselves in a position of need—as we all do at one time or another—can we accept and embrace the help we require? Accepting charity is often more difficult than giving charity. Like most of us, Lorianne Updike Toler is much more comfortable with the role of giver than receiver. But as the victim of a rare auto-immune disorder, she has spent much of the past thirty years on the receiving end of compassionate service. Her experience with asking for and accepting help has taught her that some of our most significant spiritual progress can come as we allow ourselves to experience the other side of charity.