I collect quotes. I suppose it is the teacher in me. I once had a drawer full of witty and inspiring words to use on bulletin boards that I had to create as part of my job. Of course all of those pithy sayings were non-religious ideas about working hard or being observant and such things. Lately I’ve found myself keeping quotes that are more in line with spirituality. I won’t be creating bulletin boards anymore but I do a great deal of meditating about the state of my own perspective, something that can be painful but nonetheless enjoyable. I suppose that my age and the knowledge that the end of my time here gets a bit closer with each day has prompted me to think a bit of what I have done and not done that might make me a better person.
I won’t be taking any money or possessions with me but I would like to think that somehow I will have made a positive impact on the tiny circle of life that is mine. With Easter just having been celebrated I stole this jewel from a friend named Will that seemed to encapsulate the teachings of Jesus quite well. “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Such a command seems easy enough but it can be a tall order to follow daily. We humans have some wonderful traits but also some that make us fall short of such a daunting command. Our anger, jealousy, greed, and hatefulness sometimes get in the way of fulfilling our intent to be good people. Luckily we have many opportunities to sincerely ask for forgiveness for our transgressions and start over again. At my age, with the clock ticking inside my aging body, such opportunities do not seem to be as bountiful. For that matter given that we never know when the our road here on earth will come to an end, we would all do well to set out with determination each day to simply do our best to love one another. It is a topic that I can’t think or write enough about.
Another quote that caught my eye provided me with an idea of how I might better go about focusing on how to love in an increasingly uncertain world . It showed me how to be aware that “holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary. There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb.” In other words loving my fellow humans sometimes means adjusting my points of view. The woman cleaning the floor where I work should be as important to me as the CEO of the company. The most meager meal is a great gift that feeds me. I should be immensely grateful that I am not going hungry no matter how humble the food may be. I look for dramatic miracles in burning bushes rather than seeing that little child laughing and playing as the most wonderful miracle I might witness. There are indeed angels all around me willing to help me when I least expect. Life is filled with wonder if only I am willing to open my eyes and my heart.
I have personally had times when I was weary and full of complaints about my lot in life. Sometimes I did not think that I made enough money or was as appreciated as I should have been in my job. Yet another quote that I added to my collection made me think a bit differently about my own good fortune. The words were quite simple, but powerful,”Your job is the dream of the unemployed…”
This one smacked me in the stomach. I thought of how lucky I had been in always being employed from the time I was fifteen years old. My bosses and coworkers were kind and helpful. I felt that I was doing something important in my work and while I did not make a fortune I was nonetheless remunerated fairly. The same has been true of every aspect of my time on this earth. I have a wonderful house that became a home filled with love. My cars have taken me safely to wherever I have needed to go. I’ve had to struggle now and again but everything always turned out well in the end. I find myself feeling ashamed for ever whining about my status or income or possessions. There are people who would think of my life as a dream.
Easter is the most profound day of the year in my mind. For me it is the holiest of days that reminds me to seriously consider how I should attempt to live my life. The Bible tells me that Jesus died for our sins. There can be no bigger sacrifice than someone laying down his life for others. We are all brothers and sisters with one commandment. Easter opens my eyes again to what I must do. I still have time to do my best to get things right. I still have time to love.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 