Eliminate the GIT

How often are opportunities to show generosity missed because the act of giving is put off? An opportunity to donate is lost, the timing to send letters lapses, or even not saying a kind word in time. These opportunities are missed because the idea for the generous act is forgotten, or the chance to act seems to pass? If only the opportunity had been performed, people could have been blessed with kindness.

We call this time between an outstanding giving opportunity and the action to implement it - the “Good Intentions Time” or the GIT.

The act of giving charitably very often includes a Good Intentions Time. The giving process lends itself to including times between the knowledge of the need and the actual donation being made. Technology tends to decrease the opportunity for GIT to happen. But even with credit card processing and billing right from a smartphone, there still manages to be time between the thought to give and the action of giving.

Givers must battle against the GIT, understanding that the GIT works to keep givers from blessing others while simultaneously keeping the same from experiencing the benefits of generosity. The Good Intentions Time works to delay or, more frequently, to completely thwart the goodness of giving in a person’s life. When the compulsion to act generously comes, it is better to act than to languish in the Good Intentions Time.

There are times when more consideration is needed before making a donation. At Mite, we certainly encourage taking time to make prudent giving decisions. But, taking time to think through a donation opportunity is not Good Intentions Time. That is intelligent time and is most often followed through on by givers. The GIT is experienced when a person knows he wants to give but holds off on acting. There are plenty of things to get in the way of experiencing the joy of a charitable act. That is why immediate action must be taken when an opportunity to give arises.

Givers must be ready to act! We must be prepared to eliminate the GIT and advance into the goodness of generosity.