--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is…" description: "\"Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to come when we will wish to borrow.\" — James Ellis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png" --- # Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to… ![“Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to come when we will wish to borrow.” quote by James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png) > “Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to come when we will wish to borrow.” [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages generosity now, trusting that future needs will be met with reciprocal kindness. **In simple terms:** Give cheerfully now. Key Takeaway Practice generous lending. Themes generosity trust reciprocity future planning Mood hopeful encouraging Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - community support - financial lending - peer assistance Key Concepts altruism social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance giving and self‑care? - What safeguards ensure fair reciprocity? A Different Perspective Risk of being taken advantage of. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borrow/) [Lend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lend/) [Lend Cheerfully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lend-cheerfully-1584552/) [Lending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lending/) [Let Lend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-lend-1584553/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Wish Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish-borrow-1584554/) ## Related quotes > [“Allow the power to flow through you. Don’t try to capture it. You wish only to borrow it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-g-collins/allow-the-power-to-flow-through-you-don-t-try-to-capture-it-you-wish/) [G.G. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-g-collins/) > [If you lend something you may lose it, but not if you give it. Giving is much better than Lending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-lend-something-you-may-lose-it-but-not-if-you-give-it-giving/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“I do not pretend to give such a sum; I only lend it to you. When you shall return to your country with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-do-not-pretend-to-give-such-a-sum-i-only-lend-it-to-you-when-you/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“I can lend you my money not my books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-can-lend-you-my-money-not-my-books/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Know the hazards of lending and borrowing with friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/know-the-hazards-of-lending-and-borrowing-with-friends/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [Be careful about lending a friend money. It may damage her memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-about-lending-a-friend-money-it-may-damage-her-memory/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you'd lose a troublesome Visitor, lend him Money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/if-you-d-lose-a-troublesome-visitor-lend-him-money/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [That's always the way in this world. The chappies you'd like to lend money to won't let you, whereas the chappies you don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-always-the-way-in-this-world-the-chappies-you-d-like-to-lend/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lend only what you can afford to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/lend-only-what-you-can-afford-to-lose/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Before asking a friend to borrow money ask yourself which is more important, their friendship or their money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-asking-a-friend-to-borrow-money-ask-yourself-which-is-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Borrow from your friends, and when they ain't got any more money, make new friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-corey/borrow-from-your-friends-and-when-they-ain-t-got-any-more-money-make/) [Irwin Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-corey/) > [“There are two sure ways to lose a friend, one is to borrow, the other to lend.” Besides,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-are-two-sure-ways-to-lose-a-friend-one-is-to-borrow-the-other/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Don't borrow money from a neighbor or a friend, but of a stranger where, paying for it you shall hear of it no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cecil-1st-baron-burghley/don-t-borrow-money-from-a-neighbor-or-a-friend-but-of-a-stranger/) [William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cecil-1st-baron-burghley/) > [Guys, if she just wants to be friends then borrow $250 from her & never pay her back. Like a real friend would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/guys-if-she-just-wants-to-be-friends-then-borrow-250-from-her-never/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [“Dreams are the kind of things you can—when you need to—borrow and lend out,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/dreams-are-the-kind-of-things-you-can-when-you-need-to-borrow-and/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by James Ellis > [Some few have a natural talent for office-bolding; very many for office-seeking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/some-few-have-a-natural-talent-for-office-bolding-very-many-for/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Newspapers are the world's mirrors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/newspapers-are-the-world-s-mirrors/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Better an ugly face than an ugly mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/better-an-ugly-face-than-an-ugly-mind/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Books are the beehives of thought; laconics, the honey taken from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/books-are-the-beehives-of-thought-laconics-the-honey-taken-from-them/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [The press should be the voice of the people, not of party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/the-press-should-be-the-voice-of-the-people-not-of-party/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Dexterity is one of the chief weapons of diplomacy; governments rely more upon the supremacy of this instrument, when in the hands of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/dexterity-is-one-of-the-chief-weapons-of-diplomacy-governments-rely/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [True loyalty consists not in bowing the knee to earthly greatness, or in heroic deeds to "gild the kingly knave, or garnish out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/true-loyalty-consists-not-in-bowing-the-knee-to-earthly-greatness-or/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Maxims are often quoted by those who stand in more need of their application.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/maxims-are-often-quoted-by-those-who-stand-in-more-need-of-their/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Our own actions are the accidents of fortune that we sometimes place to the credit of luck or misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/our-own-actions-are-the-accidents-of-fortune-that-we-sometimes-place/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [The rustling of the leaves is like a low hymn to nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/the-rustling-of-the-leaves-is-like-a-low-hymn-to-nature/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Man's birth is a lottery; it may be in the pleasant home of ease and affluence, or in the hut of poverty; in either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/man-s-birth-is-a-lottery-it-may-be-in-the-pleasant-home-of-ease-and/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Twilight is like death; the dark portal of night comes upon us, to open again in the glorious morning of immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/twilight-is-like-death-the-dark-portal-of-night-comes-upon-us-to-open/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Angels worship God with purity and love; men, with fear and trembling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/angels-worship-god-with-purity-and-love-men-with-fear-and-trembling/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [We can all be heroes in our virtues, in our homes, in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/we-can-all-be-heroes-in-our-virtues-in-our-homes-in-our-lives/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) > [Among all the accomplishments of life none are so important as refinement; it is not, like beauty, a gift of Nature, and can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/among-all-the-accomplishments-of-life-none-are-so-important-as/) [James Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) [Explore all 30 James Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/) ## More Borrow quotes > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [Do not borrow the productions of other men's brains and pens and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/do-not-borrow-the-productions-of-other-men-s-brains-and-pens-and/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A poet ought not to pick nature's pocket. Let him borrow, and so borrow as to repay by the very act of borrowing. Examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/a-poet-ought-not-to-pick-nature-s-pocket-let-him-borrow-and-so-borrow/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“Dreams are the kind of things you can—when you need to—borrow and lend out,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/dreams-are-the-kind-of-things-you-can-when-you-need-to-borrow-and/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Experience is the only good 'tis safer to borrow than to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-panin/experience-is-the-only-good-tis-safer-to-borrow-than-to-buy/) [Ivan Panin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-panin/) > [Scientists have odious manners, except when you prop up their theory; then you can borrow money of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/scientists-have-odious-manners-except-when-you-prop-up-their-theory/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [U turned ur bck oN tomorw,c0z u 4gt Yestrday.i gave u my love in borrow.. bt u jst throw it away..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xresh-atish/u-turned-ur-bck-on-tomorw-c0z-u-4gt-yestrday-i-gave-u-my-love-in/) [Xresh Atish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xresh-atish/) > [“You can always borrow ideas; but unless you improve them very significantly, never behave as if they are your own!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-always-borrow-ideas-but-unless-you-improve-them-very/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [How strange! When people borrow money, they bow to you and when you collect it, you have to bow to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-strange-when-people-borrow-money-they-bow-to-you-and-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-successful-keep-looking-tanned-live-in-an-elegant-building-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“acquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/acquaintance-n-a-person-whom-we-know-well-enough-to-borrow-from-but/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Borrow my umbrellas, my clothes, my money, and I will likely not think of them again. But borrow my books and I will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-mcginley/borrow-my-umbrellas-my-clothes-my-money-and-i-will-likely-not-think/) [Phyllis McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-mcginley/) > [The new American dream is one of responsibility. What is the bottom-line number that you're going to be able to pay back toward a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/the-new-american-dream-is-one-of-responsibility-what-is-the-bottom/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) [Browse all 268 Borrow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borrow/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to come when we will wish to borrow.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-pretty-sure-to-come-when-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Borrow" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-pretty-sure-to-come-when-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/james-ellis-21023_borrow_let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-p_2558485.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let us lend cheerfully, for the time is pretty sure to come when we will wish to borrow.” — James Ellis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let us lend cheerfully, for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-pretty-sure-to-come-when-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellis/let-us-lend-cheerfully-for-the-time-is-pretty-sure-to-come-when-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```