--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we open our hands and take that…" description: "\"“When we open our hands and take that which is offered to us, we are not only receiving the thing offered, but we are receiving the person.”\" — Emily P..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/emily-p-freeman-10156_quote_when-we-open-our-hands-and-take-that-whi_1751882.jpg" --- # When we open our hands and take that which is offered to… ![“When we open our hands and take that which is offered to us, we are not only receiving the thing offered, but we are receiving the person.” quote by Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/emily-p-freeman-10156_quote_when-we-open-our-hands-and-take-that-whi_1751882.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/emily-p-freeman-10156_quote_when-we-open-our-hands-and-take-that-whi_1751882.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/emily-p-freeman-10156_quote_when-we-open-our-hands-and-take-that-whi_1751882.jpg) > ““When we open our hands and take that which is offered to us, we are not only receiving the thing offered, but we are receiving the person.”” [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Receiving a gift also means receiving the giver, fostering relational connection. **In simple terms:** Giving and receiving bind people together. Key Takeaway Value relationships in exchanges. Themes relationships gratitude connection Mood warm reflective Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - friendship - mentorship - community building Key Concepts social reciprocity empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does receiving affect your view of the giver? - What can you give in return? A Different Perspective May overlook the giver’s intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hands Offered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-offered-1612095/) [Offered Receiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offered-receiving-1612097/) [Open Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-hands-535830/) [Receiving Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/receiving-person-1612096/) [Receiving Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/receiving-thing-1612098/) ## Related quotes > [“At this command, to Rose's great dismay, six more hands were offered, and it was evident that she was expected to shake them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lousia-may-alcott/at-this-command-to-rose-s-great-dismay-six-more-hands-were-offered/) [Lousia May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lousia-may-alcott/) > [We are as answerable for what we give as for what we receive; nay, the misplacing of a benefit is worse than the not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-are-as-answerable-for-what-we-give-as-for-what-we-receive-nay-the/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [When you continue to give without receiving, the only thing you are proving is that you know how to be taken advantage of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/when-you-continue-to-give-without-receiving-the-only-thing-you-are/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [Grace is a free gift of God, but to receive a gift you must have open hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/grace-is-a-free-gift-of-god-but-to-receive-a-gift-you-must-have-open/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [This is how you hold onto your family. You hold them with open hands so they are free to find futures of their own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-peck/this-is-how-you-hold-onto-your-family-you-hold-them-with-open-hands/) [Richard Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-peck/) > [South Africa is blessed to have women and men like yourselves who have little to give but give what you have with open hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mangosuthu-buthelezi/south-africa-is-blessed-to-have-women-and-men-like-yourselves-who/) [Mangosuthu Buthelezi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mangosuthu-buthelezi/) > [“Your Lord pries open your hands and takes away your crutches and distractions. He exposes your weaknesses so that you will cry out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/your-lord-pries-open-your-hands-and-takes-away-your-crutches-and/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [“There is nothing more beautiful than a vulnerable heart in open hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-mosher/there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-than-a-vulnerable-heart-in-open-hands/) [Amanda Mosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-mosher/) > [There are still things I want to do but they're not necessary for me to do. I'm not clinging to anything that I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-west/there-are-still-things-i-want-to-do-but-they-re-not-necessary-for-me/) [Morris West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-west/) > [There is a community of the spirit . . . Open your hands if you want to be held . . . Move outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/there-is-a-community-of-the-spirit-open-your-hands-if-you-want-to-be/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Take a look at those two open hands of yours. They are tools with which to serve, make friends, and reach out for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/take-a-look-at-those-two-open-hands-of-yours-they-are-tools-with/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [Open your hands if you want to be held.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/open-your-hands-if-you-want-to-be-held/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [We must apply our humble efforts to the construction of a more just and humane world. And I want to declare emphatically: Such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-perez-esquivel/we-must-apply-our-humble-efforts-to-the-construction-of-a-more-just/) [Adolfo Perez Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-perez-esquivel/) > [Everything in life is most fundamentally a gift. And you receive it best and you live it best by holding it with very open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-j-o-donovan/everything-in-life-is-most-fundamentally-a-gift-and-you-receive-it/) [Leo J. O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-j-o-donovan/) > [We cannot sow seeds with clenched fists. To sow we must open our hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-perez-esquivel/we-cannot-sow-seeds-with-clenched-fists-to-sow-we-must-open-our-hands/) [Adolfo Perez Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-perez-esquivel/) ## More by Emily P. Freeman > [“This is also a book abut God, about what it means--and what it doesn't mean--to believe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/this-is-also-a-book-abut-god-about-what-it-means-and-what-it-doesn-t/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“But understand that the reason it is so difficult to extend forgiveness to those who have failed us is because we are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/but-understand-that-the-reason-it-is-so-difficult-to-extend/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“He (God) never promises that our families will be safe. Not in the way we think. He does promise his presence, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/he-god-never-promises-that-our-families-will-be-safe-not-in-the-way/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“Without looking up to God, sinking leads to drowning. But when my eyes are locked on his, sinking tells a different story. Drop the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/without-looking-up-to-god-sinking-leads-to-drowning-but-when-my-eyes/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“I didn't want to be such a good girl anymore. I wanted people to fear messing with me. ... I wanted to be intimidating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/i-didn-t-want-to-be-such-a-good-girl-anymore-i-wanted-people-to-fear/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“Steven Pressfield writes in his bestselling book The War of Art, “Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/steven-pressfield-writes-in-his-bestselling-book-the-war-of-art-self/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“God gives us the courage to face those fears and then invites us to move toward him in the midst of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/god-gives-us-the-courage-to-face-those-fears-and-then-invites-us-to/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“Maybe you're wondering what it actually means to live a graceful life. We've got many chapters ahead to figure out what that might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/maybe-you-re-wondering-what-it-actually-means-to-live-a-graceful-life/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“... the voice of the Dreamer convinced me that 'later' would always be better than 'now', that 'someday' is where life will really happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/the-voice-of-the-dreamer-convinced-me-that-later-would-always-be/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“Because I care so much about what you think, my hiding has everything to do with you. I desperately want to manage your opinion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/because-i-care-so-much-about-what-you-think-my-hiding-has-everything/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“The question I constantly asked myself was this: What am I supposed to do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/the-question-i-constantly-asked-myself-was-this-what-am-i-supposed-to/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“When we listen to the voice of the Dreamer and hide behind our somedays, we miss out on the gifts of today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/when-we-listen-to-the-voice-of-the-dreamer-and-hide-behind-our/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“...being a good girl is more about what you believe on the inside that how you behave on the outside. That means whether you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/being-a-good-girl-is-more-about-what-you-believe-on-the-inside-that/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“You miss the living because you are waiting for perfect, and so you let goodness and blessings pass you right on by.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/you-miss-the-living-because-you-are-waiting-for-perfect-and-so-you/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [“That's what service does. It points us to Jesus, not to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/that-s-what-service-does-it-points-us-to-jesus-not-to-ourselves/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) [Explore all 67 Emily P. Freeman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) ## More Open Hands quotes > [We cannot sow seeds with clenched fists. To sow we must open our hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-perez-esquivel/we-cannot-sow-seeds-with-clenched-fists-to-sow-we-must-open-our-hands/) [Adolfo Perez Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-perez-esquivel/) > [Everything in life is most fundamentally a gift. And you receive it best and you live it best by holding it with very open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-j-o-donovan/everything-in-life-is-most-fundamentally-a-gift-and-you-receive-it/) [Leo J. O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-j-o-donovan/) > [We must apply our humble efforts to the construction of a more just and humane world. And I want to declare emphatically: Such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-perez-esquivel/we-must-apply-our-humble-efforts-to-the-construction-of-a-more-just/) [Adolfo Perez Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-perez-esquivel/) > [Open your hands if you want to be held.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/open-your-hands-if-you-want-to-be-held/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Take a look at those two open hands of yours. They are tools with which to serve, make friends, and reach out for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/take-a-look-at-those-two-open-hands-of-yours-they-are-tools-with/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [There is a community of the spirit . . . Open your hands if you want to be held . . . Move outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/there-is-a-community-of-the-spirit-open-your-hands-if-you-want-to-be/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [There are still things I want to do but they're not necessary for me to do. I'm not clinging to anything that I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-west/there-are-still-things-i-want-to-do-but-they-re-not-necessary-for-me/) [Morris West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-west/) > [“There is nothing more beautiful than a vulnerable heart in open hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-mosher/there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-than-a-vulnerable-heart-in-open-hands/) [Amanda Mosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-mosher/) > [“Your Lord pries open your hands and takes away your crutches and distractions. He exposes your weaknesses so that you will cry out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/your-lord-pries-open-your-hands-and-takes-away-your-crutches-and/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [South Africa is blessed to have women and men like yourselves who have little to give but give what you have with open hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mangosuthu-buthelezi/south-africa-is-blessed-to-have-women-and-men-like-yourselves-who/) [Mangosuthu Buthelezi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mangosuthu-buthelezi/) > [This is how you hold onto your family. You hold them with open hands so they are free to find futures of their own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-peck/this-is-how-you-hold-onto-your-family-you-hold-them-with-open-hands/) [Richard Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-peck/) > [Grace is a free gift of God, but to receive a gift you must have open hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/grace-is-a-free-gift-of-god-but-to-receive-a-gift-you-must-have-open/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“mouth open, hands extended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/mouth-open-hands-extended/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Father Break my heart for what breaks yours Give me open hands and open doors Put your light in my eyes and let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-west/father-break-my-heart-for-what-breaks-yours-give-me-open-hands-and/) [Matthew West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-west/) > [“We will never known what opportunities we may have missed in life by showing up tight-fisted. It is hard to receive anything if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruna-martinuzzi/we-will-never-known-what-opportunities-we-may-have-missed-in-life-by/) [Bruna Martinuzzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruna-martinuzzi/) [Browse all 25 Open Hands quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-hands-535830/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we open our hands and take that which is offered to us, we are not only receiving the thing offered, but we are receiving the person.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily P. 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