life: acoustic & amplified

completeing the gift cycle…how to change the world

Yesterday my post was how to find your life. The quote I used was, “You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” I believe it is true, yet all day as I looked at that quote, I realized it was just one side of this thing called a gift. Giving feels great! We all want to be in a position to give. It has been proven through research, that even watching someone give makes us feel good. Yet, many of us don’t think about the other part of the cycle of giving is receiving a gift from someone who you can never repay. The part of receiving is for losers, homeless people who should be grateful if we give them our change, people down-on-their-luck (which we never intend to be), etc. Receiving has become a dirty word. We all claim we want to help heal others, yet, being needy is not part of the equation for most of us. We don’t need anything, or anyone. WE are better than that. We are the givers, don’t ya know. How then will we receive God’s grace?

This past year has been a learning experience for me in both these valuable lessons in the ‘gift-cycle”.

I found a really important quote about giving, a few years ago, which has allowed me to complete this very important circle.

By giving we heal ourselves. By receiving we heal others.    – Unknown

Both parts of this are extremely important and, if we are going to change the world, must be understood. This is not about mistreating, manipulating, holding something over someone’s head, or taking advantage of others. This is a lesson in the value of the human soul and equality. Every soul, every person, every creature, every piece of creation is a part of God and in so being, has the same value. We are all beloved, and we must treat each other and help each other from that place of recognition. This is why Christ told his disciples to go out ‘without any money or clothes’ – you can tell a whole lot about a person by the way they give, and by the way they receive.

Most of us are good at giving in some respects, we are not as good at receiving, especially as proud Americans. We want to be the givers, we want to be what we think is the most important part of giving – feeling good, and healing, ourselves. We are proud of ourselves that we give so much charity to others. What about humility? Not really a part of our country, or our citizens any more. What we fail to think of is the other person and the value for them in feeling good, and for their healing, as well. We are especially reluctant in receiving what cannot be repaid. Mostly we don’t want feel vulnerable and we don’t want to be in debt to anyone, I understand this, probably more than most, and what I have come to believe is, so many people have used gifts in the wrong way, it has skewed the truth. All of that is because of insecurity. People manipulate and misuse power because they don’t realize their own intrinsic value. We must see ourselves as we truly are – loved beyond measure, in our imperfect state chosen, created by the creator for good works. and then we must share this same gift to each person we meet. We are all needy, so we must also receive this same gift from everyone we meet. This full gift-cycle will change the world. Grace is everything and everything is grace!

Lovely, lovely to give and to receive. I am healed by these truths. I am healed by giving to you and also by allowing your healing. How cool is that!