Islands In The Stream

“Islands In The Stream” by Kenny Rogers

Baby, when I met you
There was peace unknown
I set out to get you
With a fine tooth comb
I was soft inside
There was something going on

You do something to me
That I can’t explain
Hold me closer and I feel no pain
Every beat of my heart
We got something going on
Tender love is blind
It requires a dedication
All this love we feel
Needs no conversation
We can ride it together, ah-ha
Making love with each other, ah-ha

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ha
From one lover to another, ah-ha

I can’t live without you
If the love was gone
Everything is nothing
If you got no one
And you did walk in the night
Slowly losing sight of the real thing

But that won’t happen to us
And we got no doubt
Too deep in love and we got no way out
And the message is clear
This could be the year for the real thing

No more will you cry
Baby, I will hurt you never

We start and end as one
In love forever
We can ride it together, ah-ha
Making love with each other, ah-ha

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ha
From one lover to another, ah-ha

Ooooh, come sail away with me

For your consideration……

You know I love getting songs that lead me to our message. While this song is clearly about romantic relationships, our message today is broader. It is about partnerships.

None of us, whether we think or want to be or not, are islands unto ourselves. None of us can thrive on our own. The various relationships we form are partnerships. They range from lifetime to only minutes. Those people who are put in our path are there for a reason. We are necessary in each other’s life. In any given moment we are each other’s missing puzzle piece. We are the yin to their yang and visa-versa. The moment simply could not be without each other.

When it is presented that way, HOPEfully we see partnerships in new light. HOPEfully we realize the importance of bringing our full and best self to them.

That is the HOPE. And so it is.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, HOPE by HOPE action steps anyone can take…….

-Meditate/pray……think about those partnerships in your life and their value to you.

-Drink lots of water.

-Get outdoors and take in at least 10 deep breaths.

-Reflex on your value to others. Celebrate your own self-worth.

What made me smile yesterday……

-Morning sun.

-My neighbor, Joan, rode with me to Battle Creek to check in on Aunt Dorothy.

-A great lunch at Win Shuler’s.

-Aunt Dorothy was glad to see us and while she is clearly declining, she was in good spirits. Some things never change. She loves flowers. We always pick ones with lots of blooms because she never fails to count them and smile.

Love, Blessings and Gratitude,

Rev. Chris