For your consideration…
When this message came in today, I immediately thought about a man from my neighborhood when I was a child. The message came in via the Brooks and Dunn song, “I Believe.” The song talks about how an old man influenced a young boy. To the boy the old man had lost everything….his wife and child. Yet he was not bitter because he was absolutely certain he would see them again. When the young boy grew up and heard that the old man had died, he remembered the old man’s words, belief and how the man had influenced him.
The man I remembered was also older and alone. All the kids from the neighborhood had made up stories about him and making him scary. No one knew how or why the stories started. One day my friend, Marlene and I were out playing. We picked some flowers and Marlene says, “Let’s give them to Mr. Hubbard.” I was scared but she insisted. He opened his door to us and graciously accepted the flowers. I was relieved. Many years later, long after we had forgotten it, Mr. Hubbard saw Marlene and told her how much that gesture meant to him.
And that is the point of today’s message. Each of us has a sphere of influence. We may or may not ever know how we impacted someone’s life but that does not mean we haven’t. We are asked to be the pebble that starts the ripple in the pond. Be kind, be HOPEful, be loving, be generous, etc. even when we don’t think it matters.
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?”
-Drink lots of water.
-Get outdoors and take in at least 10 deep breaths.
-Remember your sphere of influence is bigger than you can even imagine.
What made me smile yesterday…
-Great 8th graders.
-Cooking class.
-AJ’s soccer game. I thought I would be late but it had a late start so I was right on time.
-The weather could have been so much worse and it was…after I got home.
Love, Blessings and Gratitude,
Rev. Chris
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