Dear Missionary,
While on the shop and
street I gazed
My body of a sudden
blazed;
And twenty minutes more
or less
It seemed, so great my
happiness
That I was blessed and
could bless.
W.B.Yeats “Vacillation”
I’ve been reading a book ,“ 8 habits of love” by Ed
Bacon. The first habit is
GENEROSITY. He tells a story of the
mighty Jordan River. It flows along the
eastern border of Israel/Palestine, giving life to two bodies of water, the Sea
of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
The Sea of Galilee has Vitality. Everywhere you look there is activity. People
are fishing, boating and waterskiing. Sixty five miles to the south lays the
Dead Sea – It has no vitality, it is “dead”.
The reason for this contrast is simple;
the Jordan River flows both into
and out of the Sea of Galilee. Inflow
and outflow. Receiving and giving. The river flows into the Dead Sea but has no
outflow.
The human spirit is just like the seas, in order for life
and energy it needs inflow and outflow.
When love flows from within us, more flows in. When we open our hearts to love, we not only
spread that love to others but also open ourselves to receiving love from
others. Our outflow, determines our
inflow. The more we give, the more we
receive.
What can stop generosity?
Fear. When we respond to others
anxiously we become reactive and close minded.
Science tells us that when we feel fear, blood automatically leaves the
part of our brain that thinks and creates and make choices and floods the part
of our brain that makes automatic fight or flight decisions.
There is a deep inner sanctuary in every one of us where
this fear cannot dwell- when we connect our spirit to God. Generosity means giving of our time,
resources and energies. It also means
giving people the benefit of the doubt, being able and willing to see the world
from another’s perspective. It’s about
blessing others with our thoughts and deeds.
These blessings flow back to us in many ways. Everyone has the capacity to be affluent
spiritually. To “FLOW” is the root of
the word affluent.
One way of looking at this habit is to understand that every
act of generosity is in fact a blessing!
When a person blesses another, Christ’s love is transferred. This love of Christ “His Light” transfers and
all doubt and fear leave. You and I can change the hearts of others by letting Christ’s
love flow from us- generously and unselfishly to another.
I pray for you and your companions. I hope you find little things every day to
give generously. May your gratitude fill
you with Thanksgiving daily and the blessings return to you abundantly.
