"He withholds no good thing from us,
no good thing from us.
I will open my hands,
I will open my heart...."
This morning I was reading Scripture, and came upon this statement from the Psalmist:
"...the Lord will give grace and glory;
no good thing will he withhold from them..."
And, as you can imagine if you are a regular reader of this blog, it came into my heart in the voice of a song. And not surprisingly, the voice of Sara Groves' singing, "Open My Hands."
The Lord gives us grace, and glory. Gives! We don't have to earn it. And, in fact, we can't. There is nothing we can do, or say, to make ourselves more acceptable to Him. He/She is our Father-Mother. He loves us. She cares for us.
In fact, grace, glory -- "all good things," are not a spiritual paycheck. All good things are not a salary for a life well-lived, a thought well-thunk, or a prayer well-prayed. They are the unmerited giving of a Father who loves His child. They are the un-earned support of a Mother - for her beloved son/daughter.
But so often when, as a spiritual thinker, I consider the phrase, "I will open my hands..." It is in easier to imagine opening my hands in service to others, to giving, or to being generous.
It is not always so easy - or comfortable - for me, to see myself as opening my hands as a "receiver."
Yet I am learning that to "receive" is just as vital - in the universal flow of "all good things," - as giving. Whether the divine gifts of grace, glory, and "good things" seem to come directly from a heavenly hand -- dropping into my waiting heart, or through the kindness of a family member, friend, or stranger -- my willingness to accept these gifts, as the presence of God's love and care, must be unconditionally filled with humility, gratitude, and yes, grace.
Any other response leaves God out of His goodness, and opens the door to believing that there is any other Source, of anything -- good, or not-so-good. That there could be another cause or creator in the Universe.
I can't afford to hold that in my heart. Can you?
with Love,
Kate
