Loving from the Inside Out
I’m a morning person by choice. I’m up and at ‘em at 4am or 5am and posting my blog. I know that I am an anomaly to those who have late-sleeping patterns. I’ve been up for a while when our continental breakfast bar is open at 8 am. Yesterday, I went over to grab something from the bar and greeting me was a friend with her joy-filled beaming face. She is a walking-talking ray of sunshine. She is a breath of fresh air!
I want to be that breath of fresh air too! I’m quite sure that God gave me this blogging mission to keep me in contact with Him, thinking about Him and praising Him as I write these blogs. These blogs are for me, first. I need this “rise and shine” morning wake-up call to start my day with a spring in my step and joy in my heart. I start out speaking blessings and peace into my day as I continue with thanksgiving to my Lord for His goodness to me.
That’s the way my day starts. Thankful. Faith-filled. Joyful. But as the day goes on, I might encounter “Cruella Deville” (the mean gal from 101 Dalmatians) or “Scar” from the Lion King, and my wonder-filled day can easily become a cloudy, doom-filled day — if I let their negativity, gloom and despair become my reality, too. Oftentimes, I’ll have to suck it up and put on my happy face and ooze with love that can only come from God’s love within me.
I’ve come to understand life’s stuff and my reaction to it, has taught me many lessons. I’ve had plenty of time to get it right….and I’m still learning. What I know are the consequences, and the blessings, that can come from how I conduct myself daily. I haven’t arrived, but thanks be to God, I’m way further down the road in learning my lessons well. I’ve learned that our mind, mouth, moods, and attitudes are all intricately connected. First, we think, and then our thoughts turn into words that we speak, and the two of them together turn into good or bad moods and attitudes.
For years, I paid no attention to what I was thinking and how the thoughts affected my outlook and attitude. But God has taught me many things from His Word about the “mind connection” since those early days.
~ We can choose how we think and react. We don’t always have the power to change every unpleasant circumstance that enters our lives. But we do have the power to change our outlook. I’ve found if we look at it in a hopeful, faith-filled way, God will work all things out for our good. (Romans 8:28).
~ We can think positive things on purpose. Good thing I purpose to begin each day with happy, positive, and grateful thoughts. When I do that, I can confront negativity with positivity. I choose to think “Maybe my friends have circumstances going on in their lives that cause them to act a certain way. Maybe they are hurting. Maybe they need a friend.”
Our Cruella and Scar stories can be turned for good. First, we stop thinking of others as Cruella and Scar. They, too, are God’s beloved children. We can bring sunshine to their cloudy days. We can respond to them with gentleness, kindness, and tenderness. I’m telling you….”God’s love expressed in human form through you and me….has the potential to change someone, some group of people and even our world!”
Jesus Christ showed us the way. Throughout His earthly ministry, He showed His love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed. He told His disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12