Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.
One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't " anymore".
No more hugs,
no more special moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes,
what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say
"I love you."
So while we have it,
it's best we love it,
care for it,
fix it
when it's broken and
heal it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage ...
And old cars ..
And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips,family and aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
because we are worth it.
Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.
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