Receiving and Giving

The other day I read something that surprised me. It said:

 "You can't be a good giver unless you are a good receiver."

I've thought a lot about this since I first read it and am more and more convinced of the profoundness of it. So many of us go through life thinking it is important to give to others, but being too proud to receive help from others. But the statement is correct. Knowing how to receive hleps us know how to give and the other way around. And if pride prevents us from receiving, it surely is going to taint our giving.

Think about it! If we won't let others give to us because we think it shows we are weak, or helpless, or inadequate, or that it would be a hardship on them to help, then when we turn around and try to give, even if we aren't consciously aware of it, someplace in our thoughts we consider the person we are trying to give to as weak, helpless, inadequate or that they are a hardship on us.

In addition to this, when we try to refuse a gift or act like we don't need it, we hurt the person trying to give the gift. I think we've all experienced this. We offer something and through action or words the receiver intimates, "I don't want that." or "I don't need that." And it stings! Or we give something and it is accepted, but the next day the person brings something bigger and better to us as if they need to repay us.

To live the gospel fully we need to open our hearts and be vulnerable, and one of the ways we do that is to let others help us. We need to be good givers, but we also need to be good receivers.