giving
21 10 2006 
How hard it has often been for me to accept help. Male ego and layers of resistance mixed with pride, denial of need and stubborness, have all conspired to keep me from accepting help. Then, when the Giver emerged and gave, I often decried and devalued that person. I was the unwitting and selfish Fool.
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I have met two great Givers in my life. Both of them shared something in common that was intensely, amazingly and humbly great: their Heart. In each circumstance, they ran, RAN to give from the heart, to give and to give ceaselessly.
You will find, in the presence of a true Giver, a light, love, illumination, wisdom and warmth that is so strong, so invigorating, so right that you will want to bask in the light of it, bathing in its essence. But use caution and respect, because the true Giver never stops, and you can deeply hurt and harm them with your selfishness and greed.
In the case of one of the great Givers I have encountered, I often received without being adequately able to be appreciative and grateful… yet the giving continued. I basked in the Giving, but out of need and injury. In the other case, I had traveled much further down the path of life, and had come to deeply value the Art of Giving. In these more recent circumstances, as I received, I instantly gave back and appreciated. And a circuit began to form.
Older and wiser I had learned the Art of Giving, and now, standing in the light of a true Giver, something new emerged. In the extended moment of this principle I discovered a new dynamic: the Divine interplay of two Givers. In that moment, and the many more that followed, I found something so deep and so profound that my life was forever changed, for in the moment of ceaseless giving there comes a point where the appreciated value of the giving transcends time and space, and a new dimension is entered. A bridge is built, and laying on one side is earth and everyday life, and on the other side is the eternal and its unending stillness, power and harmony. Ceaseless giving brings you to this spot. Balanced between these two great dimensions, stands the Giver. Transformation occurs, because something powerful emerges: the realization of the Eternal Giver.
All of us are Eternal Givers. We simply haven’t all realized that. More certain than the laws of the physcial universe, Giving is our destiny.
Found in these few words are the essential principles of the Art of Giving: Respect, Appreciation, Gratitude and Value. Move sequentially, from one to the other. Find value, and learn to find it in anything. Then, respect that value, even if the respect is only a smidge. Once respected, be grateful, somehow, for the value and then appreciate it, finding a way to increase its value, no matter how small. Then, do that again. And again. Forever. This is the art of the Divine Giver.
Mark,
Wise and courageous words for you to share in this forum. We can all learn an important lesson about giving, about receiving, about our own selfishness, and being transformed in Spirit through Giving. Your journey in growth and development and recognition of the value of Giving, the Giver, reveals a depth and a heart that is always reaching for more. You make it plainly evident that you are a Giver, and I offer my gratitude for the generosity of this blog space and for the writing and thoughts you express here so freely and with such strength and sincerity.
Blessings to you this glorious day!
Thank you for sharing … you are not alone … she stands guilty of being selfish … she wanted to be the giver at all times. Thus, not allowing others the opportunity to unfold … she sees that now. Is it not that we give and receive as part of our life … is this not the way of allowing each other to express their true light as you say.
Yes, she was guilty countless time … hungry for the praise.
There is a difference when one gives with light and love … selfless … Mother Teresa gave :0)
Sharing our thoughts makes us look deeper within us to enable us brighten the light.
Thank you very much. She will ponder on your words.
You may have heard this before.
The difference between hell and heaven is that in hell everyone is trying to feed themselves with such long chopsticks that the food will not go into the mouth…in heaven everyone is feeding the person sat next to them.
serenity - thank you so much. I appreciate anytime you stop in here and spread you angel dust around - God knows the place could use it!
trinity - really good point, because receiving is half the equation. In higher Giving, receiving takes on a new dynamic, far removed from the old days of selfishness. The greatest dynamic of giving is when there is more than one giver, because a constant ebb and flow begins, of giving and receiving, a sort of wave that builds up potential - so, as one person gives, the other receives, and then it shifts, like an electrical current. As this cycle starts to endlessly loop, and because the Givers are constantly applying the principle of Appreciation, the potential can become, simply stated, enormous. In this higher form of Giving, there is no place for selfishness - it simply cannot stand.
Rob - then clearly I am straddled betwixt heaven and earth, as find myself placing my tiny spoon and fork in my own mouth.
Thank you for your reply. Im slowly getting through the rest of your posts. Full of wisdom …
trinity - well, since I migrated over from Blogger I haven’t yet had time to put all the post pics on WordPress’s servers, so they take forever to upload. If you want to see both pics and text, just jump over to my old blog (EA1), linked on the sidebar. Hope there’s not too much dust on the shelves of my old posts!
Mark,
Haha!! I appreciate your kind words, but I think your place is doing just brilliantly with you at the helm
Great post, Dear Brother Mark
On the Sufi path, God is the endless giver of love, mercy, compassion, and blessings, which are really the same thing as love. To be a darvish is to learn how to give of yourself, until there is no self left, and you are nothing. The Prophet was one of those beings, and here is a post on Charity, which in this context is a giving of yourself.
http://darvish.wordpress.com/2006/10/08/acts-of-charity/
Peace and Many Blessings!
Dear Mark,
A great post. Gosh, that’s about all I can say! Yes, there are many great Givers out there. I have met some too and aim to become one myself, but as you say, sometimes we fail to offer due respect and appreciation because we receive out of ‘injury and need’
Abdur Rahman
Thsnk you for the link, Brother Irving. I will be sure to read it.
Abdur - thank you for stopping by. I join with you in learning to be a better Giver.
Hi, Mark. Have just found this wonderful blog having just visited old friends at Anulios. Thanks for being here, for being you, and for being a “service provider.”
You write: “All of us are Eternal Givers. We simply haven’t all realized that. More certain than the laws of the physcial universe, Giving is our destiny.”
This reminds me (and how many times have I forgotten and fallen asleep?) that there seens to be a hidden economy at work whose currency is a real kind of gold called Love. Give, give and give again, for the more one gives, the more seems to come back to be given.
With warm wishes,
eric.