So much of my understanding about Christmas has been to focus on the giving part – you know – "T'is better to give than to receive", but after reading "Making Room" by Chris Irby, I realized that there is much to be said about receiving.
Receiving is that open state of expectancy. To "receive" comes from the Latin recipere which means "regain, take back," (from re- "back" + -cipere - "to take.")
"O come, O come, Emmanuel" sings a Christmas song – Come, it welcomes us to accept that God is with us, always with us.
So when we sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her king….” We are singing that the earth take back her king and regain her primary relationship with God.
And when we sing "O little town of Bethlehem "
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given;
....
Where meekness will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
...we are singing to humbly reclaim the wondrous gift that was given to us.
Continuing on the "take back/regain" theme, God's wonderful gifts are given to us: love, protection, supply, and so on.
How do we receive these gifts? Meekness, gratitude, confident expectancy of good, self-forgetfulness, purity, affection, trustworthiness - and all those things that make us childlike - these qualities of thought help us receive or "regain" these gifts and recognize that these gifts have always been ours.
Now, in humbleness of mind, are we ready to receive them.
Dropping the baggage of false identity, fear, doubt, self-hatred, lack - we regain what has always been ours - the kingdom of God - which to me means understanding God loves us. God is good. We have a divine purpose. And we are given all that we need.
Happy Christmas everyone! And I mean everyone. May we all receive Christmas - the very fulfillment of hope - all year round.
It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them,
and ye shall have them.
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of,
before ye ask Him.— Christ Jesus
A note about the picture: Carl Bloch's work has intrigued me in that his detail of expression is remarkable. Born in 1834, he was recognized as perhaps the greatest artist ever to interpret the life and death of Christ - and one of Denmark's, and Europe's, greatest portrait artists.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
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