Lighten Our Darkness

I led the funeral for a woman today that few attended and where no one quite knew what to say. It was sad to see so few. Even greater sadness that so few could express anything good to say. She left her wealth to charities and those will benefit but the legacy she left was that of a cantankerous woman who few really knew. Relationships – people become our legacy. People that God loves and we can love.

My message to the people there was to live with love. Love through the barriers of crusty hard souls and soft pliable souls open to love. Love those around you, love those you do not even know, love the beautiful and the less than lovely, love those you are close to and those you have a hard time relating to – just love. Your light brightens a dark world. Today was beautiful and sunny and as the wind wiped through the small group that stood around the casket near the mausoleum next to Pine Lake I shed a tear for the loss of love when a person has only a marble tomb to speak for them. Let your love do the talking.

Wendell Berry wrote, “There is a day when the road neither comes nor goes, and the way is not a way but a place.” This place speaks out for love as though there is no tomorrow. Let that light break through and shine. Be the love – don’t just do loving things.

Yesterday was a great chance for the people of God to get together and feel the love, share the love, and get serving with love. I got a call this morning from a friend who is experiencing a loss in her life and she said that the love she has received from folks around here has been powerful and moving. In other words – people are listening and taking action.

Love endures, just like faith and hope…but as 1 Corinthians 13 says “the greatest is love.” How about a focus each day this week where you give a little love away? Don’t just consider random acts of kindness that are being polite but acts of love and generosity (especially to folks you may not know or may not expect it). Keep your eyes open. I believe that God wants to direct you to these acts of love, I believe that God will actually provide them for you, and I believe that they are prepared for you already. If you hear of an act of generosity or love that you want to share with me – do it and I will include it in my blog.

We are here for a reason – and that reason is to love.

365 Days of Good News

It’s Friday and I just got off the phone with some imaginative and exciting people who are collaborating to make this little facebook network/professional page become a movement of kindness. Our own Christmas 365 which launched in December of 2007 has now linked with a group that has over 11,000 friends. We are not only promoting 40 days of love we are looking to renew that movement that was inspired back in the early 90’s by the movie “Pay It Forward.” What would happen if we carry out acts of love and generosity and kindness 365 days of the year? How many others would we inspire?

This coming Thursday BLC launches the 40 Days of Love Simple Suppers and Small Groups which will be followed up by a Sunday Small Group opportunity. I hope that if you are in LaPorte you will consider joining us for this great 40 Day Love-in and Love-out. We are motivated by the message of the angels to the shepherds, “We bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people.” We need good news that creates great joy. WE also need to BE the good news by our lives and our actions. Join this movement and if you are on Facebook check out the information about the Club http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1075485771#/pages/365-Club/51660762372 (11,000 others are finding ways to share kindness 365 days a year – we are not alone).

Celebrate

We don’t celebrate near enough for our accomplishments. Celebrating really is an honoring of some achievement or event or even a small step. Living our life with a sense of gratitude is life in a small way a daily celebration. I was thing about this when someone asked me if there was anything special about my day. Not really at first thought but then the deeper I thought the more I realized that there were things to celebrate and accomplishments to reward. Our own self acknowledgment can be rare and routine. It may be as simple as stopping to notice how far you have come.

What can you do: Keep a journal of things you are grateful for, enjoy a small healthy “treat” for you, take a break, a walk, or take a trip to a favorite spot, invite someone to celebrate with you, or think of your own. Work on your own list. When you have a goal establish a celebration point and a reward that you want to give yourself. Why don’t you deserve it? Try something new – celebrate. Break an old habit that limits you – celebrate that. Take a risk – celebrate that. Even if you are not completely successful it may be worth celebrating because you accomplished the trying of the “thing.”

Be Well – Seize the Day

Reacting to that pesky snow

This past week I woke up to a spring snow. I reacted not responded in a very visceral way. Oh yes it was a painful morning for people near me. Normally, I am pretty upbeat but it has been a long and cold winter around here. And that painful weather person’s voice annoyed me so much. Then as the sun began to glisten off the crisp cold snow and the steam rose from my coffee, the words of a friend bounced around in my head, “Act – Don’t react.” Such good thinking. Reactions come out of our past. We react to situations where we feel powerless out of control. Responses come out of a place of power and responsibility and it involves an ability to respond to life with trustworthiness and alignment with our values. Reactions to situations come from somewhere in our past and perpetuate problems, and enlarge the complaints and can be contagious.

A spring snow is a perfect example of what can just set the day off wrong. We listen to Bad Morning America and off we go with a negative reactionary attitude for the day ahead. What are some of your reactions points? Can you think of people in your circle of friends and aquaitanses that are responders? Can you learn from them? What responses have you noticed in yourself that have been helpful lately? Don’t let your reaction trap you. Act on life and maybe on a cold spring morning take a little extra time for a steamy cup of tea, or coffee, and a little time to read the New York Times or Wall Street Journal or the latest copy of Cruising the Caribbean. Bundle up in that polar fleece and take a winter walk. Soak up the sun even if their is a wind chill. Stay Well and Seize the Day!