Today my fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is kindness.
I like focusing on kindness. I find that no matter what frame of mind I'm in, that if I am kind to someone, it lifts me up. It seems like the more random, the better. For instance, my very kind #34 bus driver. I think both of us have better days from our brief interaction four mornings a week. She sits at the light and waits for me. I greet her with a big thank you and a smile. We chat for all of 5 minutes to the church and then we wish each other a merry good day!
If only all of life's interactions were like that!
Yesterday, was a particularly smooth transition. I got off of the #33 at 9:44. I was waiting for the "walk" sign to come on to cross the street to the #34 bus stop. Just as the light turned green, the #34 pulled up. She waved at me. I waved at her. I turned and waved good bye at the #33 driver.
(He is awesome too. He has been with Tri-met for many years. His uniform is decorate like a war hero. My #34 driver told me he is a legend. He earned all his medals from Tri-Met.)
Then I cross the street and she opens the door and I walk on. She laughed and told me I had such an amazing life. I told her I felt like Mr. Magoo.
I loved Mr. Magoo! He had the sweetest, innocent, almost child-like demeanor. But he was practically blind as a bat! He would walk out his door humming, cross the street in front of cars, trucks and buses, all who would blare their horns. He would smile and wave his cane. He would be oblivious to any danger, just walking along humming. And he would always reach his destination intact.
I feel just like him some days!
Especially when things go smoothly.
Somedays are not Mr. Magoo days.
Today is not. I am tired and worried about my family member in crisis. (FMIC).
I am having lunch and extra strong cups of Earl Grey tea. And praying. For my FMIC.
Afterwards I will go teach piano classes.
But just now I opened my book, Challenge: A Daily Meditation Program on The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, by Mark Link, S.J.
I just finished week 7. I love finishing, just saying.
But at the end of this week's meditations, we are asked if we are ready to adopt 'the guidelines of living' from "The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius". I am ready. I have in fact, been striving towards this belief system most of my life. But how easily my head is turned. How quickly my feet veer off the path.
But just like Mr. Magoo, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Here they are:
The "Guidelines for Living"
"I believe that I was created to share my life and Love with God and other people, forever. I believe that God created all other things to help me achieve this goal. I believe, therefore, that I should use the other things God created insofar as they help me attain my goal and abstain from them insofar as they hinder me. It follows, therefore, that I should not prefer certain things to others. That is, I should not value, automatically, health over sickness, wealth over poverty, honor over dishonor, or a long life over a short one. I believe my sole norm for evaluating and preferring a thing should be this: How well does it help me create the end for which I was created?"
Happy Friday!
I like focusing on kindness. I find that no matter what frame of mind I'm in, that if I am kind to someone, it lifts me up. It seems like the more random, the better. For instance, my very kind #34 bus driver. I think both of us have better days from our brief interaction four mornings a week. She sits at the light and waits for me. I greet her with a big thank you and a smile. We chat for all of 5 minutes to the church and then we wish each other a merry good day!
If only all of life's interactions were like that!
Yesterday, was a particularly smooth transition. I got off of the #33 at 9:44. I was waiting for the "walk" sign to come on to cross the street to the #34 bus stop. Just as the light turned green, the #34 pulled up. She waved at me. I waved at her. I turned and waved good bye at the #33 driver.
(He is awesome too. He has been with Tri-met for many years. His uniform is decorate like a war hero. My #34 driver told me he is a legend. He earned all his medals from Tri-Met.)
Then I cross the street and she opens the door and I walk on. She laughed and told me I had such an amazing life. I told her I felt like Mr. Magoo.
I loved Mr. Magoo! He had the sweetest, innocent, almost child-like demeanor. But he was practically blind as a bat! He would walk out his door humming, cross the street in front of cars, trucks and buses, all who would blare their horns. He would smile and wave his cane. He would be oblivious to any danger, just walking along humming. And he would always reach his destination intact.
I feel just like him some days!
Especially when things go smoothly.
Somedays are not Mr. Magoo days.
Today is not. I am tired and worried about my family member in crisis. (FMIC).
I am having lunch and extra strong cups of Earl Grey tea. And praying. For my FMIC.
Afterwards I will go teach piano classes.
But just now I opened my book, Challenge: A Daily Meditation Program on The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, by Mark Link, S.J.
I just finished week 7. I love finishing, just saying.
But at the end of this week's meditations, we are asked if we are ready to adopt 'the guidelines of living' from "The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius". I am ready. I have in fact, been striving towards this belief system most of my life. But how easily my head is turned. How quickly my feet veer off the path.
But just like Mr. Magoo, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Here they are:
The "Guidelines for Living"
"I believe that I was created to share my life and Love with God and other people, forever. I believe that God created all other things to help me achieve this goal. I believe, therefore, that I should use the other things God created insofar as they help me attain my goal and abstain from them insofar as they hinder me. It follows, therefore, that I should not prefer certain things to others. That is, I should not value, automatically, health over sickness, wealth over poverty, honor over dishonor, or a long life over a short one. I believe my sole norm for evaluating and preferring a thing should be this: How well does it help me create the end for which I was created?"
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