Today I am thankful for open arms. It just dawned on me that more often we human beings approach each other with outstretched hands that are balancing on some sort of expectation based on our desire to receive than with open arms. We shuffle through this life with a leading desire to receive from others as opposed to giving to others. We have all been guilty of this at some time or another, myself included, so I am certainly not casting any stones. What I am doing is opening my eyes to the realities of this life, and hopefully in the process your eyes are being opened as well.
Like most people, I have days when I am overwhelmed by emotions, responsibilities, etc. And sometimes I am so overwhelmed that I have difficulty finding words to express how I am feeling, what I need, and what I want. In times like those, it truly helps to have open arms to fall into, arms that are attached to someone who genuinely cares about me and (because they care about me) whatever it is that concerns me. The feeling of comfort and consolation that comes from resting in those arms is unparalleled and warms the heart in ways that cannot be accurately expressed via mere words. That combination of comfort and consolation is one of the things that is needed most when life overwhelms and words fail.
There are many wonderful aspects associated with open arms, including that which I have already indicated. However, there is one more that cannot be left unsaid: the one who finds comfort within open arms can very well become the one extending open arms to someone else in their life who is in need.
If we human beings practiced extending open arms more often than extending outstretched hands seeking only to receive, maybe there would be less road rage, wars, and violence overall. Open arms just may be the cure for closed and self-centered hearts and minds. Some may ask if that is even possible. And what is my response? Well, has anyone ever tried it? #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 