Bless others by letting them give to us

Tex Sample, in his book, Earthy Mysticism, tells of being invited to preach in Kansas City. Before the service began the congregation engaged in their traditional, informal moments of sharing. It happened that the local museum had sponsored an exhibit featuring Native American art and crafts at which children were invited to make Native American crafts.

A six-year-old girl, with a mixture of timidity and good, healthy pride, came forward to show an Indian doll she had made. The doll stood on a two-inch square cardboard. Another piece of cardboard made the body, and the head was a cork with a drawn face. A piece of brown paper represented a blanket, with a yellow cord as a belt, and in the middle was a large pink button. A two-inch feather dominated the top of the doll. After a couple of minutes she returned and joined her parents.

The sermon was on Romans 3:24, all “are now justified by God’s grace as a gift.” We cannot earn God’s gift; only receive it.

At the end of the service, Tex remained and greeted a line of people. The little girl was at the end of the line, and every time someone came forward and stood behind her, she would get out of line and return to the end.

Lastly, she finally stood before Tex and handed him the doll. He took it in his hands and to show her how impressed he was, he said, “Oh, it’s so pretty! Thank you for showing it to us.” Then he handed back the doll.

She handed it again, and again Tex bragged on it and then returned it. She handed it to him a third time and he spoke of it again, admiringly, till he realized she was giving it to him. “Oh, Dear, that is so very nice of you, but I cannot take it. It is just too much of a gift.”

Then, in his book, Tex writes: “Without hesitation, so help me God, she said, ‘That ain’t what you preached!’” My father, the late Reverend Clyde Nichols, once preached a sermon “Christian Receiving”. We all gain a deserved satisfaction in giving, but how challenging it is for some of us to “Christianly” receive. We say such things as, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.” Or, “I’m not one to receive charity.” Or, as Tex attempted to decline, “It is just too much of a gift.”

One of my longest-lived regrets is being invited out to eat by the widow of a dear friend whose funeral I had officiated. She had intended to pay for the meal. When she wasn’t looking, I picked up the check. Only later did I understand what an ungracious thing I had done, and what I had denied her, by not permitting her to give to me.

Think about it—if, as Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” then how do we bless others? By receiving from them! And what higher honor could we give to God than to acknowledge his surpassing Blessedness by thankfully receiving God’s graces, God’s blessings, God’s presence, God’s love, God’s forgiveness, God’s encouragement, God’s Christ? We bless others by letting them give to us. This is not selfishness. This is not greed. This is blessing.

Yes, we are to be generous. This is one of the aspects that defines a higher humanity. But it just could be that from the giving of the Garden, to the sacrifice of Christ, to the gift of “all things made new,” God is not merely teaching us how to give likewise, but how to receive.