Tolerance

For your consideration….

Today’s message came in via peanut butter and allergies to it. Pretty crazy. Let me see if I can connect the dots.

I don’t know about you but when I was in school, I don’t remember anyone having allergies to peanuts and or peanut butter. Heck, even raising my girls, I don’t know what we would have done if we could not make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. Today we have not only classrooms but whole schools where no peanut products can be brought in. It has always puzzled me. Pediatricians tell new parents to introduce foods slowly, one at a time. This makes sense. But they often also tell them to not give certain foods until babies are much older. In the last couple of years we have started hearing some new theories about allergies. They question the withholding…lack of exposure…as a contributing cause to full-blown allergies. In the case of peanuts, some pediatricians are recommending letting babies lick a little bit of it off of a spoon. Again, not withholding but introducing it a bit at a time….building a tolerance.

Building a tolerance versus withholding or isolating is what our message is about. We all have values, beliefs, morals, preferences etc. They come from the variety of places, people and experiences we have lived in our life.

Today we are asked to take a look at our intolerances and ask, “Are they valid?” Am I intolerant for valid reasons or for lack of exposure and knowledge? Then we can ask, “How can I get to a place of non-judgment?”

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.

What made me smile yesterday….

-A chill day off.

-A good book.

-Yikes, my flu shot gave me the flu. Fortunately, I felt better in the afternoon.

Love, Blessings and Gratitude,

Rev. Chris