Giving and Receiving

When I give to someone else, a space is automatically opened in me that is capable of receiving.  In loving others, I'm more capable of accepting love from God.  This works the other way too.  Accepting love from God, makes me more capable of loving others.  We are meant to both give and receive.  This life was not meant to be lived in a vacuum.  What I do affects others, and what others do affect me.  We need practice in both giving and receiving.  As we practice, our capacity to hold love is grown.  When we give of ourselves to another, we gain the capacity to reflect on that, to grow from it, to pray about it, and to assimilate into ourselves what we've learned from it.  The same goes for receiving.  When we feel close to God, especially blessed by him, it gives us the chance to reflect on that, and then to make decisions on how to let it affect our actions and lives.

I believe that God is the ultimate example of giving and receiving.  He is totally open to receiving from us, is inviting us to share who we are with him at all times.  And he is the perfect giver, always pouring himself out to us, always available, always advocating for us, always calling us toward transparency and nakedness in him.  Reflecting on the character of God can help me with both my giving and receiving.  Also, reflecting on the Trinity can teach of this balance as well.  In the Trinity, God is perfectly given to the other parts of the trinity and also receiving from them as well.  This is done freely, joyously, spontaneously and without reservation.  Meditating on this can help these characteristics become part of me.  For as each part of the Trinity is giving to the other parts, God also generously gives to us as well.

In reflecting on the Trinity, the dualistic mind and either/or thinking is enveloped in love.  It is given the freedom to let its guard down, to accept something without totally understanding it.  In this light, thoughts are less controlling, more accepting.  We are invited into a bigger grace, a more spacious place.  Also, reflecting on the Trinity can help giving to others become more natural.  It becomes less something I muster up, more something a natural part of my demeanor.  And then the gift given, opens me up to greater gift from God, to receiving from the divine.  I feel this is the purpose of community, namely bringing out God's image in each other and in our lives together.