receive

I think it’s important to be a receiver as much as a giver.

John 6:5-11
5 When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him:
9 There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are these among so many?
10 Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would.
Douay-Rheims

When we read Bible passages like that, at least I, would like to imagine myself as the different characters, how would they feel? Would I say the same lines they said? Would I do differently? In this story, I like to imagine myself as that boy with the filet-o-fish. Because the little boy gets to come face to face with the disciples and Jesus, to stare up at them from his lowly stature, listening to them debating and jostling around. Because when Jesus gave thanks, I want to believe He not only thanked God above, but also the boy for sharing his dinner. Imagine Jesus smiling and bending down, saying ‘Thank you for sharing your dinner with me’, and then performing that miracle, from two filet-o-fish, there was suddenly 4, then 8, 16, 32!
Wow, that was MY bread and fish, and Jesus took it and made a miracle out of it. I could see it suddenly magically multiplying! I was thinking Jesus would eat it up himself and I would go hungry, but now I got to explain to mum why I’m coming back home with a basket of 10 loaves and 4 fish. I didn’t think much of that dinner; I thought it was a boring routine meal, but Jesus made something extraordinary out of the mundane.
If Jesus can do that with my dinner, what can he do through me? What if I gave my toys to him, or daddy’s saw, or mummy’s needles, or uncle’s boat? What if I give all I have? What will that gift do?
Jesus received my small gift and made it great. It made me believe in myself, that I am an asset to him, a resource. Thank you for accepting me.

Can you imagine the story of this young lad if Jesus had turned away from him, scorned by the little basket? How would the story turn out? And so sometimes, when you receive from someone, you are in fact giving him something much more precious.