It's been a tough couple of months for us as a Nation, as a community, and for many of us, personally. We're divided and economically challenged as a people, and in the midst of all of the chaos in the world today, we continue to have our own personal challenges - Challenges that for some seem much bigger when the world around us seems so unstable.
I for one, have experienced a great deal of loss this year - a complete upheaval, really, in both my personal and professional lives. There's been the loss of loved ones to both death and dessertion, loss of income and other resources, loss of long-time, valued alliances, and an overall loss of the "life" I had worked so hard for so many years to build for my family. Though it has been tough... unbelievably tough at times... I'm still here. I'm not going away, and I'm definitely not defeated. More importantly, I'm truly happy - It could just be, actually, that I'm even happier than I've been for a very long time.
I've found that everything in life improves when I just get back to the basics - the stuff that really matters. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." So, when confronted with adversity it is important to ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" Then, be still and listen for the answer [that's really the hardest part - we are always in such a hurry to move on]. The most important part of that question, though, is "do." "Do" is, by the way, an action word - many people believe that they should just sit and wait for some divine intervention. Nope. That's definitely NOT going to happen.... without you putting one foot in front of the other, that is... taking one step at a time... always moving forward... until something is revealed. One thing is for sure true - NOTHING good will happen for you unless you put yourself out there and engage with other humans. That's what I had to do - that's what always works for me. We need one another. We were created to work together, as a unit, to care for and create a better life for one another, other living things, and the earth itself.
Regardless of your belief system, or to whom or what you place above yourself, LOVE is absolutely the answer - always trying to "do the right thing." Of course, the "right thing" is sometimes difficult to discern, and yes "trying" is another important action word [though, my Great Grand Master would say, "there is no try, just do"]. But, most of us feel more comfortable with a less assertive "try." Don't get too caught up on what is "right," though, that you end up "doing" nothing. Whatever you end up "doing," if your intentions are good and pure, the "right thing" just seems to sort itself out. Love has a way of knowing your intentions, even when the actions don't illustrate them clearly.
To truly love one another, though, we have to first recognize we always have our own work to do. Lord KNOWS I do. But, keep in mind, we will never NOT be flawed - we are humans. But, if we were all to focus more on working on ourselves, it would go along way toward creating a perfect world. Second, when it comes to others [over whom, by the way, we have no control] we need to fully embrace the concept, "let go and let live." Then, we can just leave it up to God to sort out the rest.
**Do you have a related experience or thought you'd like to share? Any thoughts as we move forward together? Leave your comments in the space below.**
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