It's not the size of the check... It's the size of your Heart...

TWO MEN CAME TO VISIT A GREAT WISE MAN WHOM THEY HAD NOT SEEN IN MANY YEARS. THE WISE MAN WHO WAS ALREADY OLD AND FEEBLE,

DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE THEM. HE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY, AND FINALLY THE LIGHT OF RECOGNITION APPEARED IN HIS EYES.

“I REMEMBER YOU,” HE SAID TO ONE OF THE MEN. “I TRAVELED TO YOUR TOWN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS RAISING MONEY FOR AN ORPHANAGE. YOU GAVE ME A DONATION.

YES, YES, I REMEMBER YOU WELL. AND WHO IS YOUR FRIEND?”

“BUT SIR,” THE SECOND MAN PROTESTED. “HOW COME YOU DON’T REMEMBER ME? I WAS ALSO THERE WHEN YOU CAME TO OUR TOWN.

I ALSO GAVE YOU MONEY FOR THE ORPHANAGE. IN FACT, I GAVE YOU FIVE TIMES AS MUCH MONEY AS MY FRIEND HERE DID. HOW COME YOU REMEMBER HIM BUT NOT ME?”

“MY DEAR FELLOW,” SAID THE WISE MAN, “I DON’T REMEMBER HOW MUCH MONEY YOUR FRIEND HERE GAVE ME.

BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT AS SOON AS I FINISHED SPEAKING HE RAN UP TO ME WITH TEARS STREAMING DOWN HIS FACE AND PRESSED AN ENVELOPE INTO MY HAND.

I COULD SEE HIS HEART BREAKING WITH COMPASSION FOR THE UNFORTUNATE CHILDREN IN THE ORPHANAGE.

MANY OTHER PEOPLE ALSO CAME FORWARD WITH ENVELOPES AND DONATIONS BUT WITHOUT THE TEARS. I DON’T REMEMBER THEM.”

IN OUR OWN LIVES, OUR STATE OF MIND IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ACTUAL DEEDS WE DO.

IF WE CONTRIBUTE TO A GOOD CAUSE, WE GAIN THE FAVOR OF THE ALMIGHTY NOT BY THE SIZE OF OUR DONATION BUT BY THE FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS IN WHICH OUR DONATIONS ARE WRAPPED.

WHETHER CARING FOR AN ELDERLY PARENT OR SENDING OFF A MOTHER BIRD, OUR PASSION, LOVE AND DEVOTION ARE THE TRUE MEASURES OF OUR ACHIEVEMENT...