For your consideration…
I love love love today’s message. I love how it came in because I love the examples I was given. Everything about it is light-hearted. I was given these two examples….both happened this week….both have one of my students in them.
The first one I wrote about in an earlier blog in “what made me smile” It was about a book I read. A woman had a baby that was a very picky eater. She didn’t mind…thought it was cute that he knew what he wanted. Then she had another who was just as picky but about a different food. By the end of the book she has seven picky children and she is running herself ragged making all of their “special” food. I threw out the question to the class, “What was different at the beginning of the book and the end?” Smart little Maddie whips up her hand and says, “She no longer thinks cooking all of these special things is fun. She is tired.” Exactly. As Maggie is explaining this, Ryan who is sitting close to me quietly says, “Ah, she should have quit having kids.” Two students hearing the same story thinking differently.
The next example was again with Ryan. We were at recess. As I was monitoring the playground, I was drawn to him on a swing. He was swinging real high and then all of a sudden…at the highest arc….he hurls himself off….does a somersault in the air and lands flat on his back. I was horrified. As I start to go over there, I see the other boys high-fiving him. He jumps up and they all run off to continue playing. Of course, I yelled over for him not to do that again. But I am thinking….well you don’t want to know. I kept my cool, let my heart return to a normal beat and waited until we got inside. I called him over and asked him what on earth made him to that. Evidently he is in gymnastics and we had a lot of snow this week. To him it looked soft. To me it looked very hard and I remember vividly falling on ice and breaking my back. We saw that snow from two very different backgrounds and two very different experiences.
Every time we turn on the computer, look at our phones, turn on the radio or the TV we hear someone giving their opinion. Oh, they say it is the news but let’s be honest, there is no real unbiased news broadcasting any more. They all have a view they are trying to get out to the public. The viewers opinion, experience and view-point is of little consequence. It is not valued. It iss all about swaying it to what the broadcaster wants it to be. Difference of opinions are met with anger and people are labeled.
Our message today says…Stop It. Lighten up. We all come from different backgrounds, have had different experiences and see things differently. It is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. Celebrate the diversity.
That is the HOPE. And so it is.
Bit by bit, piece by piece, HOPE by HOPE action steps anyone can take…
-Affirm…”I am loved.”
-Meditate/pray…ask…”What is my next step for my highest good and the highest good of all?”
-Get outdoors and take in at least 10 deep breaths.
-Drink lots of water.
-Celebrate each other no matter what your differences are.
What made me smile yesterday…
-Yup….broke down and after 31 years I am replacing my Maytag dryer.
-I got stuff for James’ first care package. As soon as I get his APO, it is good to go.
-Some fun shopping and browsing.
-A good book.
-An early bedtime.
Love, Blessings and Gratitude,
Rev. Chris
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