just love.

I do not live in a bubble.  I see the news, read the headlines, and over hear many conversations as I'm standing in line at the post office or sitting in a chair at the salon.  I also have a problem with Facebook... I'm a little addicted to it (as if you could be "a little" addicted to anything).  I see the many conversations on there, as well.  I know, all too well, what people are saying.  But as I listen, more than anything else, what I hear is fear.  I get on the phone and a friend is afraid.  I turn on the news and see my neighbors hunkering down.  It's this thought that fear is having its way with people that upsets me the most.  I've learned from experience that being in fear is no way to live.

I may not agree with a lot of things going on in our world right now.  BUT, I refuse to live in fear and believe that everything is some sort of conspiracy. You cannot make a positive impact on the world if you’re paralyzed with fear and have a “deer in the headlights” look on your face. You cannot touch the hearts of others if you’re hiding in a hole somewhere waiting for the sky to cave in. If you do, the bad has won out and you have lost. Not only have you lost, but those that you could have touched have lost, too. 

Fear will not rule my life. Fear would only kill it… No life worth living can be found in fear. You know what else will not rule my life? These things: Bitterness, strife, selfishness, and unforgiveness. I’m drawing a line in the sand. Any problem in the world that you can think of, is rooted in one or more of these things. Don’t let them take root in you. The world does not need as many skeptics as it needs people to open their arms and hearts to others who need it the most. And, the ones who need it the most are the ones who you think need it the least. They are the “unlovable” people among us. They are those who just seem to rub us the wrong way.   

My arms are short, my voice is soft, and my soapbox is small but, I know the way I choose to live, the words I choose to speak, the way I make others feel… whether good or bad… creates ripples that will go on further than I could ever imagine. You can build up the world around you with your words or you can tear it down. I don’t have all the answers. I have more than a few doubts. There is much in my life that is uncertain… But, what I am certain of is, love heals. Love restores. You can build with it and you can build on it. Love is the most powerful thing in the world and is the biggest weapon we have in our artillery. It trumps everything. It can soften even the hardest of hearts. Love does not entertain fear but drives it away with its tail between its legs. Love brings life… even from death. 

Do we want the best for this world? Let’s start with ourselves. Let’s purpose to grow in love. Let’s not let a day go by without being able to say that we’ve learned to love a little bit more than we did the day before. Let’s never give up this loving… Let’s take our last breath doing just that.