Thought with a twist

Better to give?

Sometimes in the early morning I awaken with a thought, a thought with a twist. And sometimes during the day I’ll pursue the twist to see where it leads.

Recently, the thought was “it is better to give than to receive”. Thinking the thought came from Ben Franklin’s Almanack, I checked it out. Turns out it was the Apostle Paul who said, “In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35.

The twist when I awakened was “what if we volunteers went into Torres Prison not to lead a spiritual retreat but to attend a spiritual retreat led by men in white*,” who would give all the talks and lead all the activities. Instead of being the givers, we would be those who received.

Broadening that, what if we took ourselves to places where we had needs, places that stretched us? Might we possibly receive something we could not otherwise receive?

Approaching the twist from a different direction, what if, when we are giving (or serving if you like that word better), we open ourselves to receiving?

Lots to think about here.

*In Texas prisons, all inmates wear white.