BOOK OF MORMON: DAY 122: ARE WE NOT ALL BEGGARS? BE A GOOD RECEIVER -

Today’s Reading: Mosiah 4:19

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

A few years ago, I had a procedure on my foot that left me, unexpectedly, on crutches for several weeks. Having something slow me down like that was a huge frustration for someone whose unofficial life motto was, “I’ll slow down when I’m dead!” The typical multi-tasking, running around, and general doing of things came to an immediate screeching halt, and quite frankly, I was miserable. I tried to maintain my schedule and pace, failed and then cried when my prayers for a speedy healing didn’t come. A few friends tried to come to the rescue and offered help that would have simplified my life, but I was too determined. Instead, I insisted on doing things on my own without wanting to put other people out. I refused to receive the help.

Later that year, I was passing out homeless kits to some folks living on the streets and had one particularly scraggly gentleman react in disgust as he quickly perused the contents. The snacks, sweet notes of encouragement, and other goodies weren’t what he was hoping for. My heart sank a bit as the gesture of love and concern went unaccepted and literally thrown into the gutter right in front of me.

What seemed like foolish reactions on both my part and that of the homeless man in our times of need, had one thing in common: the inability to be a good receiver.

Both the homeless man and I were beggars. We both stood in need and were looking for help, but we did so wanting that aid to come on our own terms and in our own expected ways. Because of this inability to receive, the homeless man missed out on hidden cash that was tucked into that bag. I missed out on answers to my prayer for help that would have brought relief for me, opportunities for my friends to extend love, and the chance to refine the virtue of graciousness.

What I find so often is that when on the receiving end of charity, we experience an internal resistance that causes us to refuse to accept help, let alone ask for it. Perhaps we struggle with the feelings of vulnerability that comes from allowing the help. Maybe accepting a gift of time or even a compliment leaves us feeling undeserving. For many reasons, receiving tends to make people uncomfortable and so we resist.

These experiences can serve as profound teachers mirroring for us how we may inadvertently be behaving in terms of accepting help from the Savior. If the help doesn’t come as we hope or expect it, are we carelessly tossing aside hidden blessings and treasures? Are we withholding the opportunity from someone to act as a literal answer to prayer which robs them and us of that strengthening experience? Are we allowing defined demands and expectations for what we want, how we want it, and when we want it, to keep us from receiving something better?

It may be better to give than to receive, but we will never fully receive the most important gift readily available to us if we don’t first learn to become good receivers. My challenge for you today is to simply say, “thank you” when someone pays you a compliment. Instead of trying to play hero, let someone hold the door open for you when your hands are full. If someone offers a favor, don’t immediately start planning on how to pay them back. Go ahead. Receive it!