Release part 5
I've been focusing on the "releasing" aspect of "receive and release" in this Rant series. And I think that's important. Understanding that love is giving and in order to receive love we must give the love we have. That's kind of the secret of life, in my opinion. Letting God love us, and loving others with that love. Filling ourselves to overflowing with His love and letting it come out naturally. Filling ourselves by knowing and believing that we have something to fill ourselvse with. "Getting" our nourishment by giving what we've got, and in that way EXPERIENCING what we've got. Manifesting what we've got by sharing it. By giving it away. And I want to end this Rant series with the thought that loving people--in whatever way they need to be loved, be it forgiveness, or grace, or a shoulder to cry on, or help in time of need--loving people can be such a release. If you're anything like me you tend to bottle things up. But you need that release. You need to let things out. And guess what, sometimes that means screaming and crying. Sometimes that means shooting free throws (again, if you're anything like me). Sometimes that means talking to someone you trust about all the things that are rattling around in your head. Its not good that man should be alone. Its not good for us to try to get through everything by ourselves. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of wisdom. There are things that you just plain straight can't do. But maybe your friend can. And if you try to do those things that you can't do, you're probably going to end up frustrated, and you're probably going to end up making things worse. But if you let your friend do what they're supposed to do, then together it will get done. I like Song of Solomon 5:16, "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." Specifically the "altogether lovely" part. Because one day God told me the reverse of that is just as true. WE--His body--are lovely all together. Psalm 133:1 says it like this, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" I think its the cartoon Paw Patrol (or maybe Team Umizoomi) that says it like this, "Things work out better when we work together!" What I'm trying to say is: In order to release what we've got, we need someone to release it to. (Or a basketball hoop, in some cases.) We need each other. Jesus was sustained by ministering to the people He came into contact with. Love doesn't work in a vaccuum. The God who IS love created us so that He might have someone TO love. And I'm telling you--from experience--there is no greater feeling than when you love someone bigger than they ever thought anyone could love them. It seems like sometimes people reject your love. And that's ok. Love them anyway. But when it is released... and received... man, that's something special. You talk about connection. Relationship. Life. That's what its all about. Connecting with people. Having relationships with people. Helping people. Letting people help you. Living in unity. Knowing that He is altogether lovely, and in Him we are lovely all together! We're all in this together. Same team. So when you release what you've got--and it IS a release--make sure you're giving what you've got to people that need it. In the way that THEY need it. See a need, and meet it. Receive it and release it!