Giving elicits receiving. . .

You are no doubt familiar with the idea that we must give away that which we want to receive.  It’s a common thread woven into many spiritual disciplines.  And it might not have been easy to wrap your mind around when you first heard it.  At least it wasn’t easy for me.  My parents had lived through the depression, thus I had been raised with the idea of scarcity and giving some thing away, regardless of what it was, meant that we/I had less for myself.  Coming to understand the power of giving and then experiencing the abundance, in some form, that returns to the giver can’t really be explained to one who is a stranger to this idea.  It truly has to become a personal practice.  What I do know is that I have never feared giving either material or nonmaterial gifts since experiencing the rewards of this principle.

There are so many ways to give and today at church we were all privy to a very special one.  The minister shared a story about the death of his father and it’s impact on him.  He openly shed tears as he allowed us to see his pain.  He gave each one of us a gift of honesty, vulnerability, and loving tenderness.  And I feel quite certain that hearts poured out to him in a very special way.  What he gave to us was trust; what we returned to him was love and acceptance.

The world and all its inhabitants are fed by the gifts that are given.  Each one of us is part of the circle that keeps this principle alive.  I know that my mind will join the givers, with just a tiny nudge, every day.  Are you willing to be nudged too?