This word was shared by my loving husband when I confide to him what to do in our project. The humble desire to have the project was for the holistic development of our learners. However, this was hindered due to our inadequate budget. Nevertheless, because of the spirit ”paying back forward,” we bought it and now the children are enjoying it. The laughter, joy, and skills developed in their values are unmatched with any tangible things.
Not all people in this world are blessed financially that every time they need to implement their plans, funds are available. This drives them to ask help of any kind.
The need of help is most felt in families with unplanned needs. Families with members who need chemotherapy, dialysis, and other life-threatening diseases. Experiencing these forms of crisis might lead them to lose hope. “Paying back forward” can be a great way to help in these situations where extending help with unconditional expectation in return will help the beneficiaries confidently and courageously face the difficult stage they are facing.
According to Benjamin Franklin who invented the social innovation of paying back forward in his letter to his good friend Benjamin Web, “I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go through many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money”. “Christ example teaches us that we should fallow Him each day, meeting one another’s needs, though humble service is the way, ” according to Hess.
In my personal experienced there are those who are kind and generous by directly paying our registrar my tuition fee every semester but until now I do not know who they are. They are in my mind and heart and that kind endeavour is what drives me to extend my assistance to other people as long as I am capable without expecting anthing in return. Without those people, I am not what I am today. Again the spirit of paying back forward is influential especially when the recipient achieved her/his dreams.
Therefore, do not stop helping those who are in need but keep on passing the baton of the value of paying it back forward to prove that in this world there are people who are happy rendering help, who poses the spirit of caring for others. Other people may not recognize you but your labor is not in vain in the Lord. “In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.”
By Crisanta D. Ueda