So, as a strong supporter of the great freedoms we enjoy in America, I say one thing. Start with me. What can I do to be okay in a country that isn’t. Start with me, sharing kindness to the inner circle that I have in my daily existence.
Start with me, by being gentle with my grandkids, so that they will remember a time with their Nana & Papaw that made them feel safe and protected. That no matter what was happening, they were loved and not judged. Do things with them that help them appreciate their creator. Showing the power of God in the universe and His ability to love all people and creatures great and small. Teach them things they need to know for today, don’t rush their maturity (like I may have done with their parents). The best gift is in showing them that believing in something they can’t see, hear, or feel actually teaches them to recognize all that they can achieve is living inside that belief of the unseen. They need only to believe in themselves and in the one who created them to be fearless and courageous.
Start with me, showing my adult children the power of contentment and joy in who they are and what they mean in our lives and in those who are in their circles and community. Stay near them in connecting and listening. Hear their pains and struggles in a world that isn’t looking very hopeful. Be there in their lives and stay strong in supporting all their efforts as they pursue dreams or settle into a dream finally revealed. Show the same unconditional love for them that God has shown for me. Hear what you don’t hear and see what you don’t see because it is in the hearing and the seeing, I am willing to drop my opinions and believe that they do not need me to survive. They need only to believe in themselves and in the one who created them to be fearless and courageous.
Start with me, when comforting and encouraging the many friends and family because they may be struggling with their journeys in life. They might be overwhelmed when death interrupts their dreams, or divorce crushes their hearts. Maybe its a job that has consumed them and joy is no longer in their daily thoughts. Be there as they make tough decisions and try to get through one day at a time. Show concern and presence in a silent way. Reassure them that nothing is impossible and that no matter how devastating the circumstances are, they will move into the next moment, hour, and day knowing that life will gently guide them. Because there is a rhythm in life, created by a God who knew ahead of time that we could and would find security in his design for all mankind. Show them that finding the rhythm starts with the power of being still, listening to the sounds of nature, the rustle of wind through the leaves of the trees, saying good morning and goodnight. They need only to believe in themselves and in the one who created them to be fearless and courageous.
Start with me!
