JOURNAL/THE PARADOX

JOURNAL/THE PARADOX




“GO UP onto a high mountain, Zion
Herald of glad tidings
CRY OUT at the top of your voice
Jerusalem-herald of GOOD NEWS” Isaiah 40:9


The fact is
WE are ALL sinners
And the fact is
WE ALL look to God
For GUIDANCE


We look up
We reach
We LIFT our eyes


We yearn
WE KEEP LOOKING for God
The God who created us
WHO WAITS for us in LOVE


PARADOXICALLY
We know he waits in
The heights for us
BECAUSE he in fact
DESCENDED to our level
TO TAKE AWAY our sins


AND PARADOXICALLY
THE MORE we give to God
And to others
THE MORE we receive back
IN RETURN


It is a great day
TO GIVE ourselves away to God
And to others


AND WAIT PATIENTLY
for the GOD
WHOSE NAME IS LOVE










THE PARADOX




The paradox of GIVING
Is that
WHEN we give to someone else
WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE


For it is NOT what happens
To them
When we give to someone
It is
WHAT HAPPENS TO US


WE BEGIN t transform ourselves
INTO LOVE


“GIVE and gifts will be given to you” Luke 6:38


In the sermon
ON the PLAIN in Luke
Jesus instructs us
On the fine art
Of giving and receiving


The emphasis is on the giving
But like a sports team
With marginal or average talent
The SUM
Can lead to a GREAT TEAM


But what makes
Our GIVING so great
Is that there is NO EMPHASIS
Or expectation
Of receiving anything in return


What a paradox
Give and you WILL RECEIVE


By keeping
OUR MOTIVES PURE
And living out of GENEROSITY
We receive in return


Live out of true generosity
And you will RECEIVE
A thousand times more in return


“The Lord
Has heard my supplication
The Lord
Has heard my prayer” Psalm 6:9


That is
What happened to me
I started out
TRYING to give spiritually
To others


And person after person
Has stepped forward generously
To hep me
To sustain me


To keep me going
In my work


To be a GOOD GIVER
You have to be
A RECEIVER IN GRACE also


It is GREAT to give
To others
But others
Want to give back too


Just say yes
And ACCEPT the gift
Wholeheartedly in GRATITUDE


“GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER” 2 Corinthians 9:7


But keep in mind
GOD LOVES a cheerful RECEIVER too


BOTH giving and receiving
Require OPEN HEARTS
That allow LOVE to flow
In both directions


And we know that
“LOVE NEVER FAILS” 1 Corinthians 13:8


So when
We give generously
And receive from others generously
And get the rhythm


THE PARADOX IS
Our family-our friends-our churches
OUR GROUP
ADDS up to more
THAN the sum of ALL of the parts


And we become A GREAT TEAM


Robert P. Wallman
9-13-14


Ps THANKING ALL of the family-friends-and churches-for the GIVING of your TIME-your
ASSETS-and your PRAYERS AND ENCOURAGEMENT to me




INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jennifer Christ





12-9-14