What are your favorite gifts to give? Are those gifts similar to what you like to receive?
During our annual commitment program, we are planning to give some gifts to our congregation. As you may know, the commitment program is a time set aside to renew our commitment to our spiritual home. That renewal involves making a financial pledge for the coming year. I value every pledge regardless of its size because the pledge itself is an act of love. I know that you are expressing love by making your commitment. The entire Leadership Team, including me, appreciates your love. I want to receive your love consciously and tenderly with an open heart.
Wanting to make the most of our Sunday morning, we are planning to give the gifts then.
One of the gifts I prepared is a ceremonial thank you for your commitment. The first one I wrote was practical but didn’t really express the feeling of gratitude that I wanted to convey. Although the second one was more heartfelt, it is still subject to change.. (I was still thinking, “I hope they like it.”)
MY EPIPHANY
That is when it hit me. I cannot control whether or not anyone likes the gifts I give.
It is the same as any other gift exchange. We learn to give without expectation of any specific response. It is our nature to give so we practice giving with love. What we discover, in this practice, is that the inverse its true, as well. We love to receive.
What that means is that in any instant, you could be giving the gift of your attention, your affirmation, your tender touch, your act of service or your carefully chosen gift. The receiver of your gift may not speak that same love language.
I know that I often give what I would like to receive. But as we awaken more fully to our spiritual nature, we learn to see what our loved one values and attempt to give that gift.
I am very excited about our commitment program this year. We have created it with you in Mind. I know spiritually it is already perfect. We built this program with love. Some people will love every moment of it. Others will not. It is all Good!