Scripture standout: Romans 2: 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
Ps 119: 73 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
Morning thoughts: So, the Good-Samaratining experiment has been at the very least exciting and fun. I thought it would be exhausting, however it has made me feel re-invigorated to say the least. But the excerpt from Romans makes me wonder — is putting myself first not only wrong, but sinful? If so, that's a little scary — and a lot of pressure. Because as much as I have enjoyed my training in looking out for others' needs, I still enjoy a lot of me, me, me. Or maybe it means we all face "trouble and distress" when we focus too much on ourselves? Not sure about that, but the Psalms above is a nice prayer for asking God for the answers and direction. Clearly, I have no idea how to figure all this out.
Another thought. In me-land, yesterday stunk. While I was uttering every curse word dragging a moth-infested oriental rug out into the yard, I tripped over an overturned couch and knocked my ankle on one of the legs. Curse words were aplenty throughout the afternoon and evening as David and I swatted away some of the straggler moths I had "stirred up" earlier. While there was a nice break for some do-gooding — my trio "Passatempo"had a wine-full rehearsal last night for a fundraiser we have coming up —I did some more grumbling in the late evening when our mayoral elections were posted. I don't like politics, but I did feel we had a very well qualified person up for the job. Voters, however, did not see it that way.
Today, I am determined to not let negative thoughts about moths, politics and whatever else stand in my way. Today is all about being positive. I'm going to attempt to smile as much as possible, and at everyone I see. Maybe I can even smile for 40 hours straight, we'll see. I read this in the book Checklist for Life last night, which was encouraging:
"Kindness is also an attitude. If you've ever worked in a retail establishment with a focus on customer service, you've probably already heard a dozen speeches on teh power of a smile. That speech, no matter how many times you've heard it, still holds true. One smile to a stranger could make a dreary day suddenly bright. When you do life in an optimistic way, kind words and deeds flow naturally to the people around you. While it may not be possible for you to always carry a positive attitude, make it your goal to live life with as much positivity as you can. You'll even have a beneficial impact on people you never meet...Kindness is contagious. Your goodness toward one person will often prompt that person to do something kind for someone else. Sow kindness and the whole world will reap its benefits."
No comments:
Post a Comment