Open Hands, Open Hearts
Lesson 15. The Character of Caring People - Generosity.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
If nature has made you a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess
thinking about the issue of giving always reminds me of this quote. A Little Princess is a lovely book ;)
as the care cell members took today's topic and ran off with it, filling the cosy living room with stories, quotes and analogies, there were many more points brought up that furthur crystallised the whole issue of giving for me.
perhaps its not really giving, because we don't really own what we have, even our lives. perhaps we are here to learn how to pass these things on, that they may fall like seeds onto new soil and blossom with God's gentle rain. perhaps its not about just giving when the need arises, but being prepared at any time to give, so that when the time does come, we are not caught off-guard. perhaps it really takes squeezing our eyes shut, grabbing onto faith and saying, Lord i entrust this precious thing to you, lead the way.
what should i really hold as precious, and what should i learn to lay at His feet? i feel like an errant child and the Lord knows how many times He has asked, and my heart has reacted without thought, no no no, i cannot, it's too much. yet, He has taught me with utmost gentleness that i can give these things up, no, rather i can pass them on, because they were not mine to begin with. hold Me dear to your heart, child, and not these things i gave into your care.
teach me Lord, to truly hold the things i "own" with open palms of surrender. grant me the grace to share what you have entrusted into my care. may Your treasure not rot in the hold of my ship, but pour upon and bless each shore i meet. place in me the conviction, Lord, that you will never leave me empty. and Lord, even when it pains me to let go, remind me that i will not give to You what costs me nothing, because You have given me Your only Son.
i'll end by sharing a simple story about two people who loved each other, and gave what they could. perhaps they ended up with nothing, perhaps they ended up with everything :)
may God grant us the grace to live with open hands and open hearts.
love, nat
~*
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
If nature has made you a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess
thinking about the issue of giving always reminds me of this quote. A Little Princess is a lovely book ;)
as the care cell members took today's topic and ran off with it, filling the cosy living room with stories, quotes and analogies, there were many more points brought up that furthur crystallised the whole issue of giving for me.
perhaps its not really giving, because we don't really own what we have, even our lives. perhaps we are here to learn how to pass these things on, that they may fall like seeds onto new soil and blossom with God's gentle rain. perhaps its not about just giving when the need arises, but being prepared at any time to give, so that when the time does come, we are not caught off-guard. perhaps it really takes squeezing our eyes shut, grabbing onto faith and saying, Lord i entrust this precious thing to you, lead the way.
what should i really hold as precious, and what should i learn to lay at His feet? i feel like an errant child and the Lord knows how many times He has asked, and my heart has reacted without thought, no no no, i cannot, it's too much. yet, He has taught me with utmost gentleness that i can give these things up, no, rather i can pass them on, because they were not mine to begin with. hold Me dear to your heart, child, and not these things i gave into your care.
teach me Lord, to truly hold the things i "own" with open palms of surrender. grant me the grace to share what you have entrusted into my care. may Your treasure not rot in the hold of my ship, but pour upon and bless each shore i meet. place in me the conviction, Lord, that you will never leave me empty. and Lord, even when it pains me to let go, remind me that i will not give to You what costs me nothing, because You have given me Your only Son.
i'll end by sharing a simple story about two people who loved each other, and gave what they could. perhaps they ended up with nothing, perhaps they ended up with everything :)
may God grant us the grace to live with open hands and open hearts.
love, nat
~*
posted by silver at
1:47 am
1 Comments:
which also brings about my recollection of a proverb a friend once shared with me... “什么叫舍得；必须先‘舍’。。。而后‘得’”(in literal translation means: being able to give... before being able to recieve)
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Alvin T., at 2:29 pm
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