Skip to main content

Acceptance

Acceptance. This is like accepting a gift from someone. If we accept the gift, we invite someone into our world and we give that gift a place in our own lives. If we also give gift, we expect to see that gift to have a place in the house of someone who accepted it. Gifts become gifts only when they are accepted. However, we sometimes fear of receiving gifts because we don't know how to reciprocate. Or we sometimes don't appreciate the gift. Perhaps the challenge is we have to know the One who firstly freely give and the One did not expect something in return. Knowing Him will let us realize that He is the source why we are able to give and why we are able to accept gifts. When we recognize Him, we will become aware that gift brings a smile to our lips and makes our fear disappear. When we recognize Him, we can let others enter into our lives and receive the gifts they offer us.

Reflection from H.Nouwen's quote.


Photos Credits:
https://nonprofitstalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/gift-630x419.jpg

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When Praying with the Children

 When praying with children, I avoid saying, "We should aim to be like Jesus," in a way that might overwhelm them. To them, Jesus is God, and the idea of being like God - saving the whole world from sin - feels unattainable. Instead, they see Jesus as their special friend, which is a relationship they can embrace and understand. I explained that "being like Jesus" doesn't mean they have to do what only God can do, like saving the world. Instead, it means reflecting His holiness in simple ways. For children, holiness can mean being kind, loving, and obedient. However, I noticed that the idea of holiness sometimes feels like a burden because they wonder if they are already "good enough." To address this, I emphasized that Jesus loves them as they are and helps them grow to be more like Him, step by step. It's not about being perfect or doing everything right all the time. It's about letting Jesus' love fill their hearts and letting that love ...

Through Trials and Triumphs

  (Photo unknown source)  I  have faced many struggles in life - challenges, as I call them. They encompass every aspect of my being. Spiritually, there were moments when I questioned whether God was still with me. Socially, life’s battles made it difficult for me to engage with people, so I focused on working hard, as I did not have much to spare for socializing. Mentally, the weight of my problems either numbed me or left me overwhelmed. While I never entertained suicidal thoughts, there were times - especially during my studies in Master's Degree - when I said hurtful words to myself for not doing well academically, leaving  myself in moments of deep despair. Emotionally, I found it hard to accept criticism, especially in my work. Financially, my family was never wealthy; we always had just enough. And in terms of health, perhaps genetically, my sister and I have always been sickly, much like our parents before us.    But even as I recount these str...

When God Feels Near Yet Far

Photo Credits Leeklin Flickr When I was 20 years old, on this same day March 4, 2002, a tragedy struck our family. Our house was robbed, my mother was killed, and my sister barely survived. The irony of it all was that my father was a policeman in our town - someone sworn to protect others, yet he could not shield his own family from harm because he was on duty serving our town. While me, I was 8 hours drive away from my family then. Just two days after my mother’s burial, I stood in the seminary hall for our graduation, where we were to be  vested by the Bishop for full-time ministry after 4 fours years of training. I cannot recall what the Bishop preached that day as my mind was consumed with questions:   Had God abandoned our  family? Was He still present with us? That season of my life forced me to wrestle with one of the attributes of God - His  omnipresence.  How near is God, yet how far is God?  When tragedy strikes, is He close enough...