The taxi I rode in was stuck in traffic. I got up to a fine morning earlier but right now that seemed to be changing. The morning was turning into a situation of frazzled nerves, especially for the driver behind the wheel. I could sense that he was thinking of the gas being wasted idling at that particular intersection where traffic was snarled. Poor guy, there goes his profit evaporating up in fumes!
Anyway, I didn’t want to be sucked into that awful situation because it could ruin the rest of my day if I let it. So wrested my mind away from the traffic jam and shifted to thinking of something more calm and serene. My thoughts took me to the blog which I reviewed late last night to check for late-comers to the game --although Angel Love ended last Saturday, I was aware of our different time zones or time constraints thus decided to make a last minute look. It was good going back to the comments box once more and reading all the ‘AL deliveries’ posted by friends. As I cruised down the page, special thoughts came winding or shall I say danced its way into my mind and traveled down to my pen. Take a peek.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME - That’s an old saying from our grandmas’ days, or even long before that, and now loaned to us as wisdom to teach our children with. You know what, it’s in the home where often love is neglected or taken for granted. Maybe it’s because we always think that our family will forever be there for us, caring for us, supporting us, comforting us, or loving us. That they will stick with us like glue through thick or thin. Of course it’s true; yet in some very rare moments when things get ‘bad’ – so bad that communication lines are bungled-up, family members ‘disintegrate’. But when are things in the home really ‘bad’? In most cases, psychologists agree, in some books published on the subject of family and love, it is when there is ‘neglect’ or when you are not tuned-in on the same wavelength as your family. Meaning they love you --- but you are forgetting to love them back. To whom does one first express his or her affection, trust, loyalty, and respect? Is it the postman, the vendor down the street, the disabled grandfather in the house next door, or the charitable institutions you’ve managed to join? Who gets first priority to your affection and attention? Who gets to know your heart first? Who gets to worthily receive the bounty flowing out from the kindness and generosity of your heart? I’d like to see that started in the home ---with one’s family. Never mind if they’re so boring, bland, unexciting, or seem to look like the rest of the furniture in the house. Never mind if sometimes they can be so unlovable and downright impossible – so are some other people in church or at work. Never mind that. Because love begins, should begin, in the home – and no matter what kind of home or family you’ve got! They deserve to be first in your heart – they love you, love them back!
AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER - It could mean a dozen other roles we take on as we go through life, not just referring to our blood relation or sibling -- the different roles of employer, boss, teacher, doctor, policeman, fireman, etc. – roles which put us in the position wherein other people’s lives and well-being become our concern and our job. It covers a larger and wider circle outside our own homes and families --- neighbors, friends, officemates, and people in our service like our family driver-cooks-maids, the street sweeper, sometimes even beggars or strangers. They may or may not be close to us. When our paths cross with theirs, it may be simply transitory and not necessarily a continuing one. There could be the presence or absence of the typically known bond.
But the lines separating personal from impersonal become unexpectedly surprisingly blurred --- when in one sudden rapid moment a dire need arises and one swiftly crosses over to respond to that need. This is the moment when there are no pulled ‘stops’. One doesn’t first check her Chanel make-up or fuss over her Prada dress; nor worry if he has ‘enough’ money, time, or resources; nor be held back for lack of the right ‘mood’ or temperament; nor hesitate whether what he does would merit ‘approval’ or ‘recognition’ in the end; nor bother if they are of a different race, color, creed, rich or poor. One simply just goes ahead and does what is needed in the best possible way he could think of. He responds – takes action – without any thought of reward or recompense. ‘Self’ is hang up on the shelf this time because the ‘other person’ takes the center stage of one’s attention and care.
Am I my brother’s keeper? Yes we are – when the need is there we become his keeper – caring, helping, assisting, serving, giving hope and strength where there is none, helping build anew, steering him in the right direction when he has lost his way, loving when he needs to be loved, or simply fill up the void which his own kinfolk had created, or utter a silent prayer in his behalf to a merciful Father above. We do what we can to make life better again for him – help him go through his day or move on, to say the least. Yes, we are our brother’s keeper because principally --- we are connected to one another and stand as one in the family of God. And as our heavenly Father has shown us in very specific ways we are to--- love one another.
THE NATURE OF A SCORPION IS TO STING,
THE NATURE OF A MAN IS TO --- LOVE Let me try to tell you of a story that’s been quoted many times then and now in our midst. It’s about a scorpion that was at risk of falling into the river when a holy man and his friend who were passing by saw the situation. Naturally as expected of a holy man he immediately went to the scorpions’ rescue. But the scorpion didn’t understand this and so bit the man each time he tried to save it. Yet despite the sting of many bites on his hand, the good man kept on until finally he was able to bring the scorpion onto safer ground. His friend witness to the unusual scene asked the holy man “why try to save the scorpion when he just keeps on stinging you?” To this the holy man replied something like this “He can’t help it.The nature of a scorpion is to sting.” What do you know, isn’t that so much like people in our midst too – naturally unlovable sometimes. Lolz. By his magnanimous act the holy man highlighted just how much different we humans are from scorpions --- our nature is to love. Man can’t be other than what he was created for – to love – despite what this modern jaded cold world says about love and goodness ‘disintegrating’ in our times. That’s absurd. Look what our o3 friends have just proven to one and all. By reading through all their Angel Love deeds posted down in the blog we can truly say – love and goodness is very much alive. Thank God!
Well, traffic is now starting to crawl but good…we’re moving lolz. So I shall end up my musings here. But before I close, this post as prize is inspired by lostpatrol53 who took up a good lead above the rest with a steady flow of Angel Love Deeds for the whole week the game ran. God bless you, LP53!
P.S. Another post follows soon in recognition and appreciation of wonderful people who shared their time, effort, and heart with Angel Love. May God bless you all! And thank you very much for making my birthday month so grand.
posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 7:17 PM
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