I’ve been there. And maybe you’ve been there too.
You’re motivated. You’re inspired. You’re ready to change the world. Things are going well and life is good.
And then it happens. You lose your job. Your once strong relationship seems to be on the verge of breakdown. You get a disappointing health report. You lose someone close to you. Your business is not blossoming as quickly as you hoped. You turn on the news and everything seems overwhelming. What once was clear is now cloudy. And the list can go on, and on, and on.
Life presents us with ample opportunity to give up-give up on our dreams, give up on ourselves, and give up on each other.
There are SERIOUS problems going on in our world and it doesn’t seem to be going away. Just last week, I was sent an email containing some rather graphic photos of the horrific killings going on in the Middle East. I found myself on my knees, devastated by what is going on and searching for the words to form some sort of prayer to God. In the midst of my speechlessness, I felt Him whisper, “I know.” God knows what’s in my heart (whether I say it out loud or not) and He knows what is in your heart. Creepy or comforting, that’s up to you.
This email had requested that each person forward it to their network asking for prayers. I didn’t send the email. Instead, I shared with my compadres and now with all of you, the wise words of St. Francis of Assisi:
It’s easy to give up, especially when life doesn’t seem to be going our way. It’s easy to give up on ourselves when we seem to be “behind” everyone else (i.e., our life is less glam than our friends; they seem to be living the perfect life and here you are facing stumbling block after stumbling block). It’s easy to give up on each other when hatred and cruelty seem to be running rapid in our world.
BUT, above and beyond all of this is an even greater power. It’s called Love.
…LOVE in the form of the words we speak (via in person, over the phone, text, blog, comment, etc.) to ourselves, our neighbours, and each other. Do the words we use/speak empower and encourage or drain and discourage?
…LOVE in the form of our daily actions. Are our daily actions self-serving or do they serve and acknowledge others?
…LOVE in the form of our attitude towards ourselves, our lives, our world, and each other.
“You can be pitiful, or you can be powerful but you can’t be both at the same time.”-Joyce Meyer
…LOVE in the form of forgiveness towards ourselves and each other.
Ladies and Gents, dear friends, Our love (the love that we give, the love that we share, the love that we live each day) matters because You and I …matter.
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