By Dennis Merritt Jones, DD
A High Calling For Spirit, Mind, and Body
The Generosity of Spirit moves through us in a manner that allows us to realize and share the totality of who we are as spiritual beings. Accordingly, this energy then ignites our Spirit of Generosity, allowing us to share what we have and can do as human beings. Finding a balance between the two is the practice of consciously being in the flow of life. ~ Excerpt from, When Fear Speaks… Listen (pg. 70)
Have you noticed? There is a quiet beauty in the way the sun effortlessly rises each day, selflessly offering its warmth and light to the entire world without asking for anything in return. It inherently gives. In much the same way, the sun invites us to explore the depth of our own being and discover that generosity – true generosity – is not merely an act, but a state of being or consciousness; the only thing required of us is to be aware of the difference between the “Spirit of Generosity” and the “Generosity of Spirit.” Yes, they are two different things that draw on the same universal principle of abundance and understanding the difference matters to the quality of the life we call our own.
The generosity of spirit is not confined to the giving of material things; it’s the giving of the whole sacred self to others. It’s the willingness to meet life with an open heart, to see others not as separate, but as fellow travelers on the same sacred journey. A generosity of spirit can be found in the pause before we utter a harsh word. It can also be found in the listening ear offered to someone in pain, or the simple smile extended to a stranger. When we live in this space, the generosity of spirit becomes the gracious currency of the soul. It affirms, “I see you. I honor your presence. I offer what I can, from who I am.”
Likewise, the spirit of generosity is a force that flows through us when we are aligned with the deeper truth of our interconnectedness and oneness with an abundant universe. It does not seek praise or recognition. The spirit of generosity flows because it must, because to withhold materiality, love, compassion, or kindness would be to deny our own essence. The spirit of generosity does not measure; it trusts. It gives freely, not just from a consciousness of abundance or scarcity, but from the knowing that love is infinite and inexhaustible. It affirms, “I see you. I honor your presence. I offer what I have, from the all-ness of what I possess.”
We often think of generosity as something we do for others, but perhaps it is also something we do to ourselves. Every time we choose to give – of our time, our attention, our compassion, and yes, our material possessions – we widen the aperture of the heart. We remember we are not here to accumulate, but to circulate. Life flows, not in holding on, but in letting go, again and again.
In moments of deep stillness, we might ask ourselves: Where in my life can I offer more of my spirit? Where can I be less guarded and more gracious? The answers are not always easy, but they are always revealing. For in giving ourselves to life, we receive life more fully.
THE TAKEAWAY: As we enter this holiday season of giving it would serve us well to mindfully live with a generosity of spirit while marinading ourselves in the spirit of generosity is to live an awakened, fully integrated life. It is to know that each encounter is sacred and holy, each interaction an invitation to be more of who we already are vessels through which the Divine expresses its infinite love.
And that, dear friend, is the genuine gift that keeps on giving. Peace, DMJ