What Will You Give?
Today, I was bored and scanning through the Movies on Demand section and came upon a movie starring Patrick Swayze. A movie named the "City of Joy" that was made in 1992 and one that I had never heard of before... I selected and I have to admit, it is now one of my favorites that he has made... along with Dirty Dancing and Ghost... The movie was poignant, meaningful and full of life lessons and ended with another quote (an Indian Proverb) that I also found to be profound in its simpleness, "All that is not given is lost". Imagine what we lose when we choose NOT to love not only romantically, but those that are in our family, share our day to day lives or are just fellow humans that we don't know... The more we opt out of love, the smaller our hearts become, The less love we give, the less we receive. Love not given... cannot be returned and is lost...
Some time ago I ran across a quote, actually it is an African Proverb..."God gives nothing to those that keep their arms crossed". I love that quote, the implication and warning of the things in life that can be missed because one cannot or will not open their minds and/or hearts to the possibilities cannot be missed. It is a reminder to not stay stagnant. It is a reminder that some things come in unexpected packages. It is a reminder to not allow one's past to control one's future. It is a reminder to not close one's heart or one's self off to the unforseen things that God may have for us.
Think of the possibilities. Of all the things we as humans choose to withhold, opt not to give. Simple things like love, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, hope and encouragement to name a few. When we choose NOT to share some basic traits of human character that God has given to us or as I see it... blessed us with. Those are some of the things that make us human.
When we choose not to empathize with the sufferings or pain of another, when we choose not to offer words of hope or compassion, when we choose not to encourage or stretch our hands to life another.... imagine what is lost when we choose NOT to do any of these things and when we choose NOT to forgive. What we choose NOT to give to another, dims the light inside of us. It lessens the purpose that God has for our lives. If one does not give these things, we begin to lose the ability to give them... the more we choose NOT to give, the more that is lost....
What have you chosen to withhold? What will you lose? A new year is upon us, every day affords us another opportunity to experience all that life has to offer... What will you give? What will you lose?
All that is not given, is lost ~ Indian Proverb
