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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-03-05, Page 6Page 6 Times -Advocate, March 5, 1986 410/40101 ,. • a Learn to receivegraciously Most of us enjoy being on the giv - how to give graciously. but how to ing end of things. It feeds ow egos and receive in the satt?e manner, as �velll� makes us feel important that we can II seems hard to receive gracious - hell) someone through a difficulty by ly especially if we feel the help is cont- our counselling, listening, visiting or ing from someone who is not quite as even by our baking a pie for them. smart or as spiritually strong as we It Seems to me... t And there's nothing at all wrong with that providing,' of course, we recognize the fact that we are being nurtured just as much by our act of giving as is the person to whom we give. It's when our giving makes the person receiving our help feel inferior that we manufacture trouble. Just recently, a young woman I know has been going through very hard days, -and I have tried to help her as much as I can. She is a person who, up to now, has always had control of her life, who has never required much assistance or advice from anyone. But, now, that so many things have moved out of her control, she finds it difficult to accept help from anyone, believing it is a sign of weakness in her part. What I have tried to explain to her is that while most of us do ex- perience smooth and strong periods when we are able to be on the giving end, sooner or later, we will also conie upon hard and weak times when we will have to receive help, whether we like it or not. Since both giving and receiving are part and parcel of our lives, it behooves us to learn not only by Gwyn Whilsmilh are. It goes against the grain to ac- cept assistance from someone who is weaker then we are, or from a person we don't even like. I remember hear- ing a woman from Northern Ontario tell about a time her little girl came down with a rare and often fatal disease that could only be treated in Toronto, and over a period of many, long months. The small, northern community in which her family lived rallied around and began to raise the hundreds of dollars required to send and keep the mother and child in Toronto. The woman and her husband were overcome with gratitude until they learned that the largest contribu- tion had come from their worst enemy, someone to whom they hadn't spoken to for years. They wanted to fling the money back in his face, to tell him the didn't need his filthy help, until they looked at their sick little girl whose life hung in the balance. Swallowing their pride, they went tp their old enemy and thanked him humbly and graciously, so that not on- ly were they able to accept his help, but also allow him to receive a bless- ing. When we refuse to receive, or receive beligerently, we not only nips a blessing for ourselves, but we rob healing and eneouragernent from_ the giver. < Meet of us would believe we are gracious givers, but Jean Vanier, well known for his work with the mental- ly.handicapped, warns us in his book, The Followers of Jesus, that giving can be a tteacheroua"jhing, because by giving we dominate. He says we must fiever stifle people no matter how weak , or 'handicapped we perceive them to be, and we must learn to receive in humility, love and thanksgiving the gifts they have to of- fer to us. Vanier points out how terrible it is for some people who are always on the receiving end, and that we must learn how ,to receive their slightest gift with joy, precisely because it is a gift of love. By learning how to receive, we learn how to give. How often we crush when we give, desir- ing recognition. How often we think we are doing something wonderful when we give. But Vanier concludes, "To give should not be regarded as a luxury for us, it is our first and fun- damental duty. It is something so ob- vious that we shouldn't even speak about it." We must learn to give with humili- ty, but we must also learn to receive with love from the great, as well as the small, from the highly intelligent, as well as the handicap , from the" strong and the weak, for each has something valuable to share with us. So, it seems to me, we would do well if we shared what we have with others gladly with no sense of our impor- tance, and shared what they have to offer us with thanksgiving and love so that we are all blessed. WINNING SPEAKERS — Winners in the public speaking contest at Precious Blood Separate School were presented with cash prizes from the Exeter Legion. Intermediate Division winners, back left, Michelle Birmingham, 1st, Chrissy O'Toole, 2nd, and Robert Verberne, 3rd, stand beside Clay Murray, youth chair- man of Exeter Legion Branch 167. Junior division winners are Jason Coalman, 1st, Jacob Petersen, 2nd, and Anne Marie Mittleholtz, 3rd. See bread dough art Hurondale Women's Institute was held in Trivitt Hall on February 26. Members enjoyed a dessert lunch at 1:15 with Clara Harris' group in charge. Vice president Erlma Keller opened the meeting reading "Do a lit - Bridal Photography The latest appreciation in wedding photography, is to have your wedding professionally recorded on to live ac- tion video tape. I specialize in wedding photography and invite you to join the fun, colour and excitement of the video revolution. William Mason Studio of Photography Exeter 233-0134 tle kindness". An interesting roll call "Name ways of using bread" revealed many good ways of using bread. Marion Dougall convener of Agriculture Canadian Industries presented the program. Motto "What is a farmer" was given by Marion. This was amusing and true. She then introduced her daughter-in-law; Judy, who very capably demonstrated dough art. This was very interesting. She had many lovely creations on display. June Stewart read a poem on Country Living. Summary day for Home Decor course is April 14 in Legion hall in Clinton, afternoon and evening. Theme for the'Exeter fall fair is Best of Beans. Activities at Agriculture Museum, Milton were presented. Several members told of interesting trips they have had during winter months. Helpers for Sportman's din- ner were thanked and a committee was put in to arrange for the annual meeting in April. Next meeting will be held in the Parish Hall March 26 at 1:15 p.m. with Family and Con- sumer Affairs committee in charge. Please Excuse our Mess We're renovating to serve you better: The work will be done soon and we'll have a much larger store for your shop- ping convenience. RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AS USUAL WutrtL)'s SHOES eaExeter 235-0611 mai Ovality a S«vie• Since 19311 "One Step Ahead" tl 4 WINN PEAKERS — Clay Murray, youth chairman of Exeter Legion Branch 167, presented the win- ners of the Exeter. Public School public speaking contest with their cash prizes. Shown (back left) are Pam Homer, ,1t and Julia Merner, 2nd in the intermediate division, Murray, and (front) junior division winners Derrick Beckett, 1st, Fred Steciuk, 2nd, and Michelle McDonald, 3rd. Missing: Becci Farquhar. MAKE DONATIONS The l;.adies Auxiliary of the R.E. Pooley Br. 167, Royal Canadian Legion -held their regular meeting February 24 with 46 members present. President Esther Hillman chaired the meeting. Cathy Arbo and Karen Snell were initiated into the Auxiliary and welcomed by all. Jennie Tinkler won the 50-50 draw for January and Angie Alexander for February. Isa Smith won the mystery prize, One team will be participating in provincial euchre in North Bay March 22 and three teams in district bowling in Preston, March 8. A $100 donation was made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and $300 to the Ontario Provincial Bursary Fund. Monday, March 24 will be the Pen- ny Sale for Bunny Bundle. Wednes- day, April 2 is the date set to play Bingo with our veterans_ in Westminster Hospital in London. Lunch was served by Shirley Snell's group at the conclusion of the meeting. RECEIVE LETTERS The February meeting of the Women's Ministries of the Pentescostal Church was held at the home of Mrs. Hilda Eizenga with 12 .members present. Mrs. Dorothy Cooper offered prayer. Roll canvas answered with a scrip< tuce verse,-eentaipipg . the word "Church". Letters were read from the pastor of our home Missions Church and also from the Austins. The financial report was read by Mrs. Mary Blanchard. The missionary reading was read by Mrs. Estrella Finkbeiner. Mrs. Mary Blanchard then gave a short special number. The message of the afternoon was read by Mrs. Jean Jolly on "How to discover the dynamics of prayer". Prayer time followed. with each member participating. We then enjoyed a tasty lunch pro- vided by Mrs. Connie Donnan and Mrs. Ruth McLaren assisted by the hostess. If you're looking for carpet or vinyl for a small area or. an entire house • Save Time • Save Money • See us First Spring is Just Around the Corner... Now is the time to decorate • Stock wallpaper. $3.95 s/r • Wallcoverings • Ben -Moore Paint • Carpets i • Vertical Drapes • Mattresses and Sofa Beds 41KmgKoi. TERMS - Cash, Visa Mastercard Grand Bend Decorating Hw . No. 21 and Flooring Centre 238 8603 Grand Bond Mark your calendar off for a treat every Tuesday in March with a 15 piece Bucket. It'sourtastethat makesustamous.