Deacon Tam Tran

SHARING AND THE TOYMAKER

Hebrews 13:16, Luke 3:11, Luke 6:38

The Bible encourages sharing through verses like Hebrews 13:16, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased," and Luke 3:11, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise". The principle of generosity is also highlighted by Luke 6:38, which says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap". 

Humans are social animals, we have shared with others since the beginning of civilization and interaction. It is one of the primary ways we learn to communicate. We’ve all been taught from the time of our birth that sharing is caring. As kids, we are taught to share by our parents and are resistant to this act as we are instinctively territorial. However, we learn to share when we notice the kind of joy that it brings to the person we choose to share. 

Some cultures more than others, encourage sharing. People from these cultures open up their homes to traveling visitors and those who are curious about learning of their cultural practices. However, sharing doesn't always need to be this grand gesture. Sharing need not be practiced in terms of material. Sharing can be equally immaterial. You can share embraces, smiles, pleasant words, experiences, stories and so much more. You can even share tasks and responsibilities or compliments and modest acts like these can also brighten up a person's day and make them feel more positive.

Science verifies this truth, the more we share, the happier we make ourselves. When we share or feels grateful, our brains release Oxytocin. Oxytocin helps build trust, relieve stress and anxiety, improve immune function and benefit of our overall wellbeing as a result. When an individual is in possession of generous levels of Oxytocin in his/her body, they are more empathetic towards others and feel more generous than they would in normal circumstances.

Since writing this article about sharing, my brain already produces some amount of Oxytocin enough that I would love to share with you a story about a Prince and the Toy maker.

Once upon a time there was a little prince who was used to having everything he wanted. He was so spoilt that he wouldn’t let anybody have a new toy if he didn’t have it first. So, if any child in the land wanted a new toy, they had to buy two and give one to the prince.

One day a mysterious toymaker, who invented the most wonderful toys, came to the land. The prince liked his toys so much that he invited him to spend an entire year in the castle, promising him great wealth if he made him a new toy every day. The toymaker set just one condition:

“My toys are very special and need an owner who will play with them” he said. “Will you be able to devote a little time to each one every day?”

“Of course, I will” the little prince replied impatiently. “I’d love to.”

From then on, every morning the prince received a new toy. Every day it seemed that there could never be a better toy and every day the toymaker delivered a toy better than the previous ones. The prince appeared very happy.

But the toy collection kept growing and, after a few weeks had passed, there were simply too many toys to play with all of them every day. So, one day the prince put a few toys to one side, hoping that the toymaker wouldn’t notice. However, when it was night time and the prince was ready to go to bed the toys that had been put away lined up in front of him and, one by one, demanded their daily playtime.

The little prince couldn’t get to sleep until well past midnight because he had to play with every single toy.

Next day, tired after all his efforts, the prince slept very late. In the little time left of the day, he had to get to know a new toy and then play with all the others too. Once again, he finished very late and was so tired he could hardly stop yawning.

From then on, every day was a little bit worse than the one before. The same amount of time but with one extra toy to play with. The prince was so exhausted and sleepy, he barely had the time to enjoy playing. To make matters worse, the toys were getting more and more angry because the time he spent playing with them was becoming shorter and shorter.

Within a few weeks later, he only had time to go from one toy to another, eating as he played, talking as he played, bathing as he played and even sleeping as he played. He was constantly changing toys, just like a terrible nightmare. Until one day, as he was looking out of his window, he saw some children playing with a stone next to the castle.

“Hummmm, I have an idea!” he said, and he sent for the children. They turned up gloomily, wondering whether he would force them to hand over their stone, just as he had done many times before with other toys.

But the prince didn’t want the stone. Surprisingly, he only wanted them to play with him and share his toys. When they’d finished playing the prince let them take home the toys they liked the most.

The idea had worked. The prince could enjoy himself without having too many toys to play with. Even better, he had new friends. From then on, he did the same thing every day and invited more children to the castle to share his toys.

When it was time for the toymaker to leave, the 365 fantastic toys he had made had all been shared out and the palace had turned into the best playroom in the kingdom.

The act of giving and receiving both invokes gratitude in the participants of the exchange. The receiver is thankful for the gift and the giver feels gratitude for being able to have that exchange. Gratitude, as we all know, contributes to a person's ability to feel happy. When a person is able to feel gratitude for all that he/she has been blessed with, they are more inclined to feel happy and content.

No matter in which capacity you choose to share, sharing builds trust in others and helps us build better relationships, which in turn sustain us socially for the rest of our lives.

Still, want to be like the Prince? Go share that sandwich!