Generosity: Give love, Get love

                When it comes to my friends, I am very generous with my time. I’m there when they ask for me or when they need me.

I show love that way. I show love by giving them time, listening, being there, making sure they know that they’re not alone.

 

I think when you give love, you receive love as well. When I started investing time on my friends, I felt the change with the way they act. Suddenly, they’re not quite the same anymore. They’ve gotten kinder. You see, when people start to show me their vulnerable side and they find that they can trust me, they start to trust people more. They also start to accept themselves more.

Although they will never admit it, I see it. When I start to love them, they learn to love back. And they learn to love others.

It’s amazing actually. I have this friend named Mark who’s always been anti-social. During class he’d stay at the back of the room and do things himself. He’d glare at anyone who got near him. Because of that, no one wanted to be friends with him.

But somehow, being the stubborn person I was, I kind of knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I’d start with sitting beside him during class, asking what he’s making (he usually keeps his hands busy with his crafts.) Then I’d start talking to him.

When I felt comfortable around him and he felt comfortable around me, I’d start just frequently sitting next to him to play with his phone. Sometimes being beside him is enough actually, it’s already a sign of trust that he actually allows me to be beside him.

Soon we’d start teasing each other. The teasing turned to long conversations. And those conversations gave way to friendship. He’d open up and tell me his secrets, his insecurities, etc. and I’ll listen.  I could feel him get happier every day.

He’d talk to more people more, he’d socialize more in class. The teacher would sometimes be even shocked that he’s smiling. But from then on, he kept on smiling. He’d laugh, he’d make jokes, he’d make more friends from different classes.

So I think that’s the amazing effect of giving love. When you show people love, they give love back, and they give more love to others.

I’ve never been afraid of giving love, I’ve never been afraid of trusting people. But I know people are so afraid to let themselves vulnerable. I could see that everyone is so afraid of letting people in. That usually is because people have hurt them before. So when they find that they can trust people and that they shouldn’t be afraid of love, they start being more loving and they start opening up more.

Me, I get my love from God, from my parents, and from my family. It’s because of them why I’ve never had problems giving and receiving love.

I think that has always been the cycle of generosity. Give love and it will come back to you in full.

Everyone is made for love, everyone is made for God. It has never been our job to judge anyone, but it has always been our judge to love. Because God is love.