For this Sunday, July 12th, the focus for our meditation
will be on Receiving. I have written before about an art project
that was done at an annual retreat by Rev. Jennifer Halls in which we had to
make plaster casts of our hands. The
concept behind the project was to make us more aware of our readiness (or not)
to Receive assistance from
others. To make the plaster casts you
had to plunge your hands into containers of wet plaster and leave them there for
what seemed an interminable amount of time for them to set. Being thusly encumbered you had to rely on
your assistants for every need. Want a
drink of water? You had to ask someone
to hold a cup to your mouth. Pestered by
flying insects (as the project was done outdoors in a wooded environment)? Someone else had to swat them away for
you. Feeling overly warm in the
sun? You had to learn to ask another
person to fan you. I’m not sure what was
more onerous to me – having my hands encased up to my wrists in plaster or
having to ask for help – but the project made me keenly aware of my innate reluctance
to Receive assistance from
others. It grates on me to have to ask
for help, as I proudly consider myself to be quite capable and
self-reliant. Yet, I have come to learn that
denying someone the ability to offer assistance robs them of the opportunity to
give their gift to the world. It is a
selfish act to refuse to Receive
from others. By learning to open my
heart and graciously Receive from
other people it enables them to make a valuable contribution they would
otherwise not be able to offer.
Sometimes this lesson comes to us in the simplest of ways. Consider whether you are one of those
individuals who when thanked, responds emphatically, “No, thank you!” Instead, try Receiving the gratitude with a more open heart and learn to say, “You’re
welcome!” The difference over time will
amaze you. This week in our prayer and
meditation let us think about the ways we may want to be more willing to Receive from those whom we encounter in
life. Let us ask to be gently shown how
to readily open our hearts and accept the offer of assistance from others in a
way that Receives them with love and
gratitude.
Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in
your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us,
and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.
Ask yourself how do I feel when I gladly Receive offers of assistance from
others? How does it feel in my body when
I recognize that my ability to Receive
from others helps me expand my own heart?
Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.
Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express
thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.
If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share
please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com
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