"Giving Up Half Of Our Possessions Made Our Family Whole"
Stirred by economic injustice in the world, this Atlanta family felt convicted to sell their large home and through downsizing, give the proceeds to those in need. (In this case, it wound up benefitting 30 villages in Ghana.)
Click here to read the article.
Security, protection from scarcity and a temptation toward pride is so hard-wired in our systems, it is difficult to look very hard to see where we may be off.
The father and daughter of this family wrote a book about their experiences called “The Power of Half” which encourages readers to consider where there is excess in their lives—excess that could be making an impact. And it isn’t just about money.
Father and co-author Kevin Salwen writes:
…The more we’ve examined this abundant life the more we realize that everyone has more than enough of something. Spend 6 hours a week on Facebook? Cut it in half and now you have a new 3-hour resource to sing in a nursing home or clean a neighborhood park. Eat out four times a week? Cut that in half and share what you save with the local soup kitchen…A life of abundance, not scarcity.
It’s an interesting challenge. In this case, it’s powerful to imagine the far-reaching and ongoing result from this one family. Granted, they are wealthier than many, but still, through the charity they donated to, dozens of villages in Ghana have been provided with education, job training and basic infrastructure needs.
Have you had an experience where something caused you take stock of your life in a way that you hadn’t before? Did you give in a way that was different than usual? What was the result?
Send your stories to media@rswr.org.
Watch an interview with the Salwen’s.
