We've had some discussion about receiving during this project on giving. And it occured to me that giving and receiving are as connected to one another as water is to a river. I'm not sure that you can have one without the other.
What if there is no natural separation between giving and receiving? What if our perception that giving and receiving were two different things acts to create something that looks like this?
Or, on a good day, maybe this?
Maybe your barriers aren't quite so profound,
maybe your giving and receiving looks more like this?
Remote, inaccessible, arduous?
Or this?
What do you think it would be required to find yourself in a space of giving and receiving that was as smooth and beautiful as this?
Or as luxurious and bountiful as this?
So, which one are you? Which do you want to be?
What is one way that you can think of to get there from here?
Posts
4 comments:
I love the last picture especially. Thank you for posting them! I keep saying that my intention is to have "multiple streams of income" and that's what the last picture is - the many avenues and channels where abundance just pops up and prosperity flows - more abundance than I could possibly catch in a barrel and hoard away - so much visible abundance that I have NO FEAR or WORRY that I will ever not be provided for. And no barriers damming it up because there is plenty to go around. I don't even have to be the vehicle through which the supply is given to others - what I don't catch myself simply flows around me and past me on to the next pool where someone else can easily have their fill too - they just have to reach their hand out and take it - I don't have to be the one in charge doling it out - I can simply take my share and others can take their share without me doing any of the work. THIS is what I want in my life! A VISIBLE, constant stream of supply that more than meets my needs! Thanks for the great visuals Two Feathers!
I too love that last image... although I do think that the first and second ones are more definitive of how things are with me usually.
I don't know how to get there from here. I think part of it is being in a space of being open and receptive. And part of it means letting go of fear and a need for control.
Interestingly, I'm thinking we probably should have explored receiving before we explored giving. Maybe next time around?
Ok... so I'm looking at that waterfall and it occurs to me that before the water spills over and flows, it does fill up all the hollow places...
And... I did realize that the water and river metaphor isn't really quite accurate. You can't have a river without water... but you sure as heck can have water without having a river... so I don't know what that means... maybe it simply means that it's time for me to hit the sack!
I have been struggling again with feeling overwhelmed with financial worries and debt. Debt is a funny word when you think about the seriousness of it. To OWE someome is a heavy burden. So much of our life is spend trying to make up for things, to catch up on our racing lives, to make ammends for past mistakes... I think a big part of the giving experience for me is going to have to be to learn to give forgiveness, acceptance. I need to forgive myself the debtedness and move ahead into a positive state of accepting God's gifts in my life without strings or fear or a sense of repayment. Giving is from deep within... it's an act of true lovelyness that springs forward without fear or compensation.
I sometimes think I give, because I've been taught to be charitable. And I receive because I'm afraid of not having enough to make my life worthwhile.
Charity is a good thing to learn, but it's a better thing to truley feel-wether given or received.
Post a Comment