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Gratefulness
Today I am grateful to be alive, to feel, see and know the grace and power of something we call Spirit. That alone is joy and gift enough!
Even though the orbit of my daily activities find me interacting with the same types of people from day-to-day, I don’t think that I “ normally” nor intentionally exclude anyone. But I get what today’s question is trying to explore.
In my view the greater challenge is expanding my circle of normal interactions with people who are different than I am in ways that are real, sustainable and genuine and not done solely for the purpose of checking off some kind of a box as done.
Light. Light is magical to me.
Such a great question today! Yet, upon reading the question I realize that I do not have any clear sense in my own head and heart if I actually have convictions that have not been given voice. It’s not that I don’t have convictions, because I do and they have already found their voice.
But today’s question is still a very good one for me to ponder. It encourages me to dust-off the convictions I presently hold that contribute to making me who I am and to see if any are still hidi...
But today’s question is still a very good one for me to ponder. It encourages me to dust-off the convictions I presently hold that contribute to making me who I am and to see if any are still hiding in the shadows.
One of the ways that I might help, in whatever small way that may be, to alleviate the stressors and life challenges of another person is to simply pause and listen to their story. They will decide what story to tell and they will let me know if it has helped.
Today’s question seems like a near-repeat of several other daily questions just recently. That point aside, for some reason what immediately jumped into my head upon reading today’s question was the popular hymn, “Finlandia” and most especially it’s lyrics. For anyone who has had the opportunity to sing this hymn in a house of worship will understand how the melody and words touch upon the deeper meaning of today’s question. Here’s the song:
“This Is My Song” (Finnlan...
“This Is My Song” (Finnlandia)
This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine; this is my home, the country where my heart is; here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine: but other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine; but other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine: O hear my song, thou God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.
It seems that the process of becoming an older man brings with it many stories to tell! But for me, it’s not about releasing stories it’s about choosing which stories to share and at what time.
My faith and my family have sustained me during times of despair or during times when Hope felt far away.
In practical, realistic and sustainable terms, it seems the best I can do to strive for a more just and peaceful world is to mind my own “store” first. Treating others justly and fairly, respecting those who experience the world differently than I do, and keeping peacefulness at the center of my being would be my contribution to the whole and to the world. A somewhat lofty sounding goal for sure!
EVERYTHING happens when I use words with intention. Otherwise, why bother?
Kindness and decency enriches our lives in every, every conceivable way, period.
A perfect question for me today! My wife and I are on vacation on a small, unpretentious island in the Caribbean. We have been here a number of times and each time that we arrive it takes our breath away. We stay in a very modest beach house some 40 feet away from the ocean and as I write in the pre-dawn darkness, I am appreciating the sounds of tropical birds beginning their day and the roar of the ocean just beyond. How marvelous!
Splendid question! I am always on the lookout for ways that I can be more generous with what I have, in sustainable and meaningful ways. For me, that’s the key. The act of giving is relatively easy to do if one has that ability but giving wisely of the limited reserves that I have is what I strive to do. These days, as a retiree, I “give” mostly of my time and as the need arises, my gifts of providing pastoral care and nurture in various ways to others around me as way opens.
I recall, with some sadness and clear longing, when people who held differing political viewpoints in my country were more civil and tolerant of one another. Today, in many circles, the mere mention of political ideologies in pubic settings creates not only tension but risks aggressive confrontation and palpable fear. I pray for the day when we can return to being more tolerant and more accepting of our fellow citizens whose politics may be different than my own. If we don’t hold on to the ...
I recall, with some sadness and clear longing, when people who held differing political viewpoints in my country were more civil and tolerant of one another. Today, in many circles, the mere mention of political ideologies in pubic settings creates not only tension but risks aggressive confrontation and palpable fear. I pray for the day when we can return to being more tolerant and more accepting of our fellow citizens whose politics may be different than my own. If we don’t hold on to the memory of how things were, how will we find our way back?
I was on the floor just the other day with our youngest granddaughter, River, playing with two large orthopedic leg lifts and back support wedges. Of course, the ortho equipment was mine, but for an eighteen-month old child, they became mountains to climb and soft-sided caves to crawl through, with surprise “pop-ups” and tumbles of laughter over and over again. Best use and “medicine” I’ve had yet with orthopedic anything!
Oh my…the aroma of fresh-cut grass in a hay field always reminds me of my farming days many years ago. The memories of cutting, raking, baling and hauling hay back to the barn come flooding back. Whenever I encounter these summertime aromas it makes me wonder how my life would be today had I continued farming as a vocation and lifestyle for the remainder of my working years.
I found it hard to choose just one animal! But if I must choose only one, for me it has to be dogs, and especially our dog, Gracie. She’s blind, and she sees right through me.
Thanks Verena, can’t wait to have a chance to look it up and listen to it sung by Joan Baez.
Hi Debra, for sure, every time I sing this hymn I never make it through with dry eyes! There’s just something about the way the melody and words play off of each other.
So true my friend! And in an hour’s time, I’ll be getting into a 28 foot whaleboat with five other rowers and heading out into the harbor to see the sun come up. You should come and join us!
Well, thank you for your generous words here, Verena. Sometimes I also ask myself why I am not more “hungry” or aggressive to pursue or get more of what’s out there. I do admire many of the folks who are, for their own sake but I also know, usually, what’s right for me and what is not. Thanks again for you and kind words today.
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