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Thank You for Receiving

(Sharing something personal today...)

♥ Michael, thank you for not turning away our expressions of love for you, while still showing us there's MORE to give for the children & the world. You understood that love is limitless and doesn't run out, that Source never runs dry, which is one of your lessons for us, it seems. There's always more if we reach inside and find it. And you wanted us to find it all! :)

You lovingly and graciously accepted fans' posters and artwork without chastising us for having spent that money on posterboard, markers or paint when it could have gone to a charity. Perhaps you thought it sometimes (?), but you never put someone down for loving you. When certain people criticized you for accepting all this adulation (even implying it was near sacrilegious) you replied that it's LOVE!, what's wrong with LOVE?, and that you had never asked people to "worship" you.

Yet you of all people, having seen so much of the world, knew full well the great need for food, medical care, education and an adequate homes. You knew that there were babies in need of heart surgery, mothers in need of help to protect their children, homeless people in need of a warm meal, orphans of war in need of clothing and shelter. The Earth is a planet in great need, and you did not let us forget this. You put it before our eyes and asked us to take it into our hearts and begged us to DO SOMETHING about it. God bless you.

And in the midst of this chaos of need, your wisdom shone through in that seed of truth that grows into glory: that LOVE is also a need! We need to receive it and we need to GIVE it. Love turned away becomes sorrow. Love scolded becomes shame. Love restricted keeps the heart in lockdown and discourages its expression. Love locked away can find no one in need of it, and so nothing is given... or received. And you didn't do that to us. You let us love. Thank you for that.

In fact, I think in some ways you tried to tell us experientially, "Yes, DO love! Love MORE! Let it go! Feel it, give it, however your heart feels fit. Love's not exclusive, limited or only allowed if thoroughly scrutinized  and judged worthy in a particular circumstance. Children don't do that..  they just express it. So create your art, send that letter, give that hug, say those words, fill the room with flowers, fill the world with JOY! Celebrate it! And once you learn this, then let it grow, grow, grow... and change the world."

The expansiveness of love, without guilt for all the places it has yet to reach, is beautiful. For instance, I don't believe you'd tell my friend she's wrong for sending a rose "to you" at Forest Lawn because her heart tells her so. I think you'd smile. But I know your smile would light the whole city if that joy was shared... if that flower touched another's heart when it was later gifted to a community center or hospital. And your smile would light the whole world if she also donated what she could to a favored cause to help heal the world, all for LOVE. Why just do one? We can do both! We can do all! Flowers, cards, tears, laughter, lots of charity and lots of hugs. I hope everyone does, according to the dictates of their own soul, and all as expressions of LOVE... for you, in your memory, in your honor, for Love/God's own sake, and for the world.

I guess I just want to thank you, Michael. Thank you for the freedom of just letting love BE. Thank you for all you gave, and thank you for receiving.

I love you, ever more.
Humbled in your grace,
~ bgg

P.S. For anyone else reading: Of course, this is just a summary of some thoughts in my own opinion. It started as just a tweet, lol. I'm not talking here about the negatives (which were also plentiful) in the gilded cage of fame, but just about gifts that show someone cares. I know life is complicated. Or really simple? Depending on how you look at it. Michael once told me in a dream to do whatever my heart tells me, regardless. Seems like good advice. Will try to stick with it. ;) Love ♥

5 COMMENTS:

Kerry Hennigan said...

This is a very important point that you make. I really get offended by people suggesting better ways we could use our money. Would they tell us not to buy presents for our loved ones? Michael is a special loved one to all of his fans. Our combined efforts have created, and hopefully will continue to create, some wonderful expressions of love, through flowers, notices in newspapers and, certainly through donations made to charity in his honour.

If the truth be known, many fans I believe, who can afford it, do all of it to a greater or lesser degree. And even if it's just a rose, or some money towards something else that displays our love and appreciation for Michael, perhaps our efforts will make others take notice, and cause them to wonder what all the fuss is about Michael Jackson.

Perhaps they'll bother to find out for themselves - not by reading tabloid headlines or watching skewed TV news grabs - but by listening to the lyrics, and what he has said in interviews etc. Perhaps they might be motivated to act on Michael's message. Such a person as Michael, a messenger for our time, a complex, multi-faceted, phenomenally talented and spiritually aware person, is bound to bring out the best and worst in people. Part of his job as such a messenger is to challenge us, confront us, and suggest an alternative that might work for us. Others have also done this, and often it ended in disaster (just think back a couple thousand years for the most famous examples!)

Even the most peace-loving people can attract hatred simply because some of us refuse to be shaken out of our lethargy. Remember when Michael challenged a room full of people to turn to the person next to them, and tell them that they loved them. Wow, how revolutionary is that? Yet how obvious if we are ever to all respect and get along with each other. Acknowledgement of the spirit in others must come first.

Consider how many of us never say that simple phrase 'I love you' even to those closest to us - and how often we regret it when they are taken from us. Michael expressed love and encouraged others to reach out to one another all the time. No wonder there are those who think he was 'weird' - to actually tell someone you love them - how uncool is that?

Of course the secret in expressing love in which every way we feel motivated, whether by buying flowers or gifts, or making a donation to charity or volunteering for a good cause, is that its only beneficial if done freely. No-one can force anyone else to 'do the right thing' - it can't be right if you're being forced or coerced into it.

Besides, what begins as a simple gift of a flower, might end with an action that saves a child's life. We just never know.

But, God knows, and, if we believe that Michael is always with us and around us in spirit, he'll know too.

God bless. Everyone who can should keep on giving how you are best able of feel inclined.

Jacinta said...

I have bought a rose for Forest Lawn, and hopefully (if I have money) I will donate through "A Million Trees For Michael" on June 25th to plant trees to heal the Earth. I am also selling bracelets through my store (address in my name) where I send the proceeds to charity. Nobody is saying to an 8-year old girl: "Why did you spend money on that card and that tiny chocolate for your uncle's birthday? You could have given them to Mission Without Borders instead! You silly girl.." Nobody says this :) But with Michael Jackson they do... but as he said: everywhere in the world, people hunger and yearn for one thing: love. To love and be loved. Sometimes it doesn't need to be roses, cards and "I love you"'s, it can be an e-card that you send to someone "just because", it can be surprising your parents with flowers when you come for Sunday dinner - anything :) A tiny act of love may be small on Earth, but to that person, it may be the greatest act ever. Michael was, is and always will be a wonderful teacher who showed us all how we should be. Thank You Michael.

Anonymous said...

Kerry and Jacinta have both delivered powerful messages of awareness and truth to us all. WE KNOW WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK IF MICHAEL DID IT AND THE REST OF THE WORLD HATES IT!!!!!!!! Stay strong and always remember that the more you GIVE the more comes back to you so you can GIVE AGAIN! And indeed, the world IS watching our every move. Do we pour out our love and gratitude in whatever way we are led to do so, or do we allow them to say, "See, he's dwindling.....his fans don't really do much any more..."

Anonymous said...

This beautiful testimonial to love and your way of interpreting our Michael's heart - though not quoted by him - addresses something I've thought about quite a bit. Would our Michael have wanted me to take the money I spend on things to try to keep him close: books I don't really need because I can read his words online; music I can hear on free online radio, etc -- and give it to charity?? It's seriously dogged me for a while now. Your post has re-assured me that "receiving" is a deep form of L.O.V.E. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

I want to add that I do both: donate to charity, and to sites that honor our Michael - like One Rose for MJJ. I believe Michal would be okay with that.

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