WITH OPEN HANDS, WE GIVE WHAT WE HAVE FIRST RECEIVED. AND WITH OPEN HANDS, WE RECEIVE WHAT WE WILL DIVEST, ONCE AGAIN. THIS IS BLESSING ITSELF: THE GIVING AND RECEIVING OF LIFE AND LOVE, THE SHARING OF FAITH AND GOD.
I got this from Br Adrian Danker's blog.
In the prayer written by St Francis of Assisi, one of the lines read "It is in giving that we receive".
How is it that we receive when we give? Perhaps it's similar to the saying that we can only love if we have received love. We know love when we have experienced love. We know pain when we have experienced pain. In extending of our selfless love to others, we become more familiar with what this love is like and when we receive it, we are not blind towards it and are able to recognise it and thus, receive it. Many people are loved but few are really able to receive of that love. "Receiving" is not just about being at the other end of a giver's act but more significantly, it is the internalisation of the act into our hearts. When we don't give, how do we know to recognise what we actually have? When we don't give, perhaps more often than not, it is because we do not know how wealthy we are, we do not know what we possess that we can give to others. We are "poor" and are unable to recognise goodness. How, then, can we possible know to identify and truly receive goodness others extend to us?
Most of the time, we do not quite expect to receive what we have given. When we give, we give out of our richness. We get wealth tenfold. Literally? Not quite. A person once made a little coin bag out of paper and had a dollar coin dropped into the bag everyday. When it accumulated to $50, she took the money, went to a blind man who was always selling tissue and snacks week after week, rain or shine, and gave this blind man the money. It would not be sufficient to buy him a car, a house or even to pay his meals for the month. Yet, it would certainly ease off some worries to pay the bills and most of all, it would certainly convey the message to this man and his family that someone loves him and most of all, God has not abandoned him. The girl walked on with a smile and a deep peace in her heart. A peace that money cannot buy. This peace came from deep within, from the saying "yes" to God to be His instrument of love, kindness and peace. This peace came because she knew, though in such a small and insignificant way, she had made someone happy that day. She gave just $50 but received a peace and joy that was priceless. It is in giving that we receive.
When person A keeps giving selflessly to person B, it is just a matter of time that person B will start to experience this selfless love, peace and gratitude. When person B becomes more at peace, person B can now extend the kindness to person C. If this chain of infection continues, more and more people will get the opportunity to experience these goodness and spread it. And so the saying goes "What goes around, comes around". Person A will one day receive the kindness he first spread by someone who received that kindness directly or indirectly from person A. Although an ideal situation most would shudder it off as an impossibility, being a disciple of God IS about striving towards the most ideal - sainthood, a total giving of ourselves to God through His people and in turn, receiving riches untold and which the world cannot give.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
What is the point of refusing to love and thus protecting ourselves from being rejected and hurt, and lose our sanctity?
What is the point of back-stabbing and thus, climb up the corporate ladder faster, and lose our integrity?
What is the point of driving way beyond speed limits, thus building up a thick layer of ego, but lose the preciousness of lives?
What is the point of telling lies to cover up our errors and have things go our way but as a result, lose the peace within?
This whole giving and receiving that we go through subconsciously everyday - so often, what we think is us receiving, is in actual fact, us losing.
09 July 2010
11.23pm
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