Only by God's Grace: An Inspirational Guide for Daily Living: to Remind

By Rufina Charlery

An inspirational guide for daily living to remind us of how much God loves each of us, regardless of ethnicity, gender, social status, or creed. We are all his children, and he has no favorites.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496950420

Rufina Charlery

Rufina Charlery is a St. Lucian. She holds a first degree in economics from the University of the West Indies, Barbados, and a master’s in international affairs (economic policy management) from Columbia University in the City of New York. Rufina spent seven years as an economist within the public service and then fourteen years in the banking sector, with ten of those as a credit risk analyst. She has one daughter.

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January

NEW

BEGINNINGS

Day 1

Good Morning Friends

Thank you Lord for one more year! My friends, we made it through another year. We have been truly blessed. Thank God! What are our aspirations for this new one? Before stepping over the threshold of the new one, let us think back on our blessings.

Foremost and the greatest of our many blessings is the gift of life. We woke up this morning and therefore must thank God for giving us another day and another opportunity to make His gift to us a great one. Among our many other blessings let us be thankful for health. Most of our body parts are still in working condition or we would not be here. Another reason to be thankful is for family. They have stuck with us through thick and thin, despite the many times we did not see eye to eye. Then there are our friends. Not having friends is a thought none of us want to dwell on as, without them, life would not be the same. For work which kept us occupied and helped to meet our needs. Finally community, not one of us can survive on our own and we are who we are because of where we have been and who has touched our lives.

Pondering on what I envision for me in the New Year, my soul searching has my thoughts racing because there is so much I want to do. However, in the end, my sole resolution is one that will enable me to accomplish far more with it than without it. Thus my resolution for the New Year is to love. I want to love those who are dear to me and all with whom I make contact. With the help of each other, the sky is the limit to what we can all accomplish.

May God bless each of us and our loved ones in the New Year. May we trust Him in all things. May we keep our eyes on Him always. May He grant us wisdom in choosing our resolutions for the year with the strength to see them through and may love be the foundation upon which we stand through it all in the New Year. Happy New Year!

All my love!

Day 2

Good Morning Friends

Whenever I look back on a past year, I am amazed at the things I was able to handle well, the things I excelled at; the things I was able to have a good laugh over; the people I was able to deal with without losing control and the situations I found myself in so many times and was able to get out of unscathed; situations I would have vehemently denied ever allowing myself to be in or if I ever did, being able to handle. In retrospect I can say, as difficult as that year was, I not only survived it but I did well. No longer will the words, ‘I will never,’ be uttered by me because my friends, we are all capable of any and every thing, whether good or bad.

The New Year is unfolding and as I thanked God for the past years and the millions of blessings I have received - for my loving family, my dear friends, my circumstances and most importantly for where I am at this point, I felt an overwhelming sense of power. At that moment I knew that every experience of the past years had a defined purpose for my future, in preparation for something to come. I smiled, for no matter what this year brings, I am ready because I believe in a God who loves me, who knows and sees all and I know my path has been laid out and all is well!

Happy New Year to all of you! May God bless all of us with a loving family to keep us in check; health to always be able; enough wealth to keep us humble; faithful friends so we are never lonely; inner peace so we are always content and most of all love - love of self and love for each other.

All my love!

Day 3

Good Morning Friends

One birthday eve, my daughter turned to me and asked, Mommy, how old do you plan to be tomorrow? As truthfully as I could, I responded, Thirty honey. The ringing of the telephone saved me from being forced to witness what had become her usual expression of absolute disbelief. I sat back amazed at how quickly our children change. Only a few years ago she would have happily told anyone her mommy was sixteen. Now someone overhearing my little traitor would think I pick my age out of a bag.

Jokes aside, it is great to be at this point in life. By the grace of God, I have grown gracefully and by the standards of the world, done well. I have never been happier and more at peace. Gone are the days when I would do things simply to maintain the status quo. No longer do I lose my cool over the slightest thing falling out of place or cry because things have not gone according to plan. Behind me are days of fretting over things I have little or no control over, or losing my mind over broken promises and letdowns. Thank God!

Many are terrified of ageing but providing that we take care of ourselves, we will enjoy the journey despite the frequent bumps. By the grace of God let us spread our wings and fully live our short life. Let us love with all of our heart, give all we can and graciously receive all we are given. Let us ask for what we want, knowing we can only be told yes, no or later and if we trust in God, His timing will always be perfect. Let us cry over a disappointment for only the time it deserves and then move on, as life will move on with or without our participation. Let us say goodbye to what is not working for us, knowing in time we will get over it and we will be fine. Let us move from stage to stage without burning any bridges because time has taught us we may come back this way. Let us live free of grudges over the broken promises and the unkindness of others who may just be unhappy people and need us more than we need them.

Lord, thank You and bless us on this, the first day of the rest of our lives.

All my love!

Day 4

Good Morning Friends

There is a tendency to wait for things to fall into place before we can enjoy life and be happy. We save things and the opportunities for new experiences for the right time. When is the right time? What is the main ingredient necessary for making any time the right time? Is it not our attitude? Do we know where we are going? Even when we do, is it the case that only one path can take us there and if we are not on that path, should we put our happiness on hold until we can get there? Suppose our aim is to own a house. Does it mean we should just be pining until that day? If our plan is to get married, will we put our life on hold until that happens? What if it never happens?

I believe our God has a plan for each of us, one that will unfold in due course. However along our journey, it is important for us to: (1) Make every stage in our life count, after all, each stage sets the tone for the next one and a poor response to this one, will seriously affect the unfolding of the next. (2) Appreciate our every moment and take from those moments everything we possibly can, as it may be our only opportunity for the experiences it may bring. (3) Make the people we meet count. (4) Allow ourselves to fall in love without fighting it, even in the absence of the variables we outline as being necessary for perfect love. With a little effort we may be able to make it magical. (5) Allow our spirits to soar because we are meant to be free. (6) Always thank God when we have done well and ask for more graces when we have not. My friends we do not know what will happen from one moment to the next. Therefore let us live the present to the fullest.

Lord, beginning today help us to make the most of each moment, knowing it is always only a step along our journey. Bless us so whatever it brings we will enjoy it and live life with no regrets.

All my love!

Day 5

Good Morning Friends

At the end of each year we go through the process of making resolutions about areas where we desire changes in our lives. How many of us, only a few days later, are able to hold on to the resolutions we made so fervently and with such certainty? How many of us have had to make adjustments because we could not hang on to the resolutions, in the form we originally envisioned? How many of us have actually put the resolutions aside and gone on with life as we have been used to?

Our resolutions, if taken seriously, involve much thought, time and hope. Even when we are confident that this is what we want, it is difficult to make the commensurate changes that will be required of us in order to carry them out. Understandably we are happiest if things are going well or if we are comfortable where we are. After all, why should we rock a boat that is sailing along so smoothly? We should because growth is necessary. We cannot know our full potential unless we step out of our comfort zone. We are usually the ones most dissatisfied with the way things are happening around us. We are often the biggest critics of persons trying hard to improve situations we should be contributing to.

The beginning of each year is a new opportunity for us to do things differently, especially if we are the only ones happy with how things are working now. We cannot be content with the thought, ‘There are others who can do it; or ‘I’ am only one and will not be missed.’ If we want to see progress we have to be the change we want to see or at least an instrument of that change. In our private lives let us exert some effort to make the difference: to expand our horizon; to boldly attempt to venture where we have been afraid to go. The world around us is tough but we can accomplish much more by working together as a team.

Lord, Your love for us is revealed in everything around us. Bless us so that today can be a new beginning.

All my love!

Day 6

Good Morning Friends

Life can seem impossible at times and at those times we want to give up and let things take their course with no effort from us. We give up on friends; we snap at our family; work becomes a real chore and those who need our help should wait until we feel better. We want to be left alone so we can feel sorry for ourselves and think of ways to make others feel sorry for us as well.

My friends, are we a people with no hope? Do we consider ourselves a lost cause? Take a look around. Look at where we were and how far we have come. Think of all the obstacles we have overcome, yet we are still standing and growing from strength to strength with each new difficulty. How did we make it through? St Paul reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient for us and whenever we feel like we cannot go another step, His grace is made perfect.

God’s love for us is unsurpassed, unparalleled and unconditional. Even if we were to love back with everything we have, we would not be able to scratch the surface. Imagine our love for the person we love the most and know it cannot compare to His love for us. The magnitude of His love can be mind-boggling but it is real. We are loved for being who we are now and for who He knows we can become. This is why His grace is made available to us, to become who we can without giving up. We only need to acknowledge this as truth and He will do the rest. It is easier said than done and daily our situations tempt us to believe otherwise. We measure Him according to our capabilities and believe, if we cannot do something, neither can He. The truth is we fail to accomplish only that which we try to accomplish on our own.

Lord, bless us so our days can be spent within Your gaze believing that we have available to us every grace we will need for the tasks at hand. Beginning today, remind us always, when we place our all in Your hands, that Your grace abounds.

All my love!

Day 7

Good Morning Friends

Who says we cannot learn a thing or two from those who are slightly more mentally challenged than ourselves? In Church one Sunday, a man whom most would refer to as a mad man sat two benches behind me and for most of the service, conducted his own. But during Consecration he startled me when he raised his voice with the statement, There are many gods but only one Creator. My immediate reaction was to smile at madness but the more I thought about it, the more I realized his words held more truth than madness.

In my encounter with others I have not come across anyone who believes in more than one creator, but can we honestly count the number of gods between us? Do we even have to look further than ourselves to see the many gods in our lives? What are the things that take precedence over our time for God, the Creator? On our prioritized list, where is God in comparison to our family, friends, money, jobs, hobbies or ourselves? Who or what comes first? The more complicated our lives become, the more gods we possess.

If we are honest, we will identify the many instances where everything else took the place of gods in our lives while God came after. Think of the Church related activities that annoyed us so much because of the late notice given, perhaps a week before the date; yet for a leisure activity, for time-and-a-half at work, for the one we love, we need absolutely no notice and would jump out of bed at midnight in pouring rain to attend what we are being invited to. My friends, our first of only two commandments is to love God with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength. Anything which takes precedence over this commandment in our life is our secular god.

Lord, bless us as we begin to make the effort to ensure we give things their proper places in our lives and reserve the highest seat for You Who are all deserving, our God the Creator. After all, when we give You the first place, there is no doubt that all else will be taken care of. In any case, if it were not for You, none of the things we mistakenly hold as gods, would even be.

All my love!

Day 8

Good Morning Friends

Have you ever found yourself only appearing to do something willingly?

The entrance leading to my mother’s house can only accommodate one vehicle at a time. Because of the angle, it is hard to tell if a vehicle is approaching and one may turn in but have to reverse onto the main road to allow the other to come out. One evening as I did so, I saw another vehicle and reversed giving the driver what I thought was enough room to exit in my direction. I watched him turn the corner and thought, ‘He is quite good looking but obviously not a good driver’. He needed me to reverse by another car length to be able to clear the turn. I resisted because I was convinced he had enough space and also he was delaying me. Eventually I did, but grudgingly. As he passed me he said, Thank you and went on his way. I was grumbling about a man not being able to drive and wasting my time when my twelve year old daughter turned to me and said, Mommy, he said thank you. I continued but she repeated it as if to say, ‘What more do you want?’ Later, I was relating the incident to my sister when she told me again, Mommy, he said thank you, so let it go. She was right! So much came into play because of my negative response. I wasted time by resisting. I gave a minor issue value by extending its lifespan and I failed to acknowledge the man’s gratitude.

Similarly, in our spiritual life we commit ourselves to changes and, although we stick to the promises for a while, it is obvious we are sometimes upset with God that we have to deprive ourselves in order to serve Him, especially when the promise is to stay away from something we know is wrong but we really like. We all want others to serve us willingly and so does God. The fact is if something involves time, energy and emotion, we should try to do it properly and whole heartedly from the first time.

Lord, help us to willingly do all we are called upon to do for You and each other. After all, You have never complained. May today be our new beginning!

All my love!

Day 9

Good Morning Friends

Walking from my vehicle to the office one morning, an elderly man stopped me to ask for money to buy a loaf of bread. Unfortunately, I never spend coins. In trying to develop a saving habit in my daughter, all coins go into a piggy bank which becomes her pocket change whenever we travel.

To make a long story short, I told the man I had no change and went along my way but what I saw in his eyes bothered me. I thought of the turkey sandwich I had taken special care to prepare that morning for breakfast, as well as my fish meal for lunch prepared by my mother just the way I like and I felt guilty. I turned back to him and asked whether he would like to have my sandwich. His eyes lit up as I took it out of my lunch-bag and handed it to him. He thanked me and asked if I could also get him a roll of toilet paper. Of course that took us back to square one. I walked away thinking of how blessed some of us are that at the start of the day, two of the most important meals have been laid out while others do not know where the first one is coming from. It felt good to have brought a smile to someone’s face so early in the day.

The number of people with less than they need is growing at an exponential rate. I do not believe in dishing out money to people who ask for it but I do believe we have a responsibility to the less fortunate to do what we can to make their lives just a little less uncomfortable. Remember those of us with a little more have been blessed so we can then go out and bless those with less. Poverty arises when we hoard what we have, when we keep our fists clenched and when we turn a blind eye to what should really be, doing to others what we would like done to us.

Lord, everything we have comes from You. Bless us so that beginning today, we can take advantage of the opportunities around us to show our love for You by sharing with those in need.

All my love!

Day 10

Good Morning Friends

Climbing the rungs of the ladder of life, we sometimes forget that we could never have done it on our own no matter how likely it may have seemed. We see people who were once very nice, become transformed as the realization of having made it sinks in and the perks differentiating them from the ordinary person start pouring in.

We are considered successful if we hold certain positions in organizations, the community and sometimes even the Church. Who we are is defined by where we live, what we drive, where we frequent, etc. and some of us will sell our soul to ensure we get there. In public we erect barriers to separate those who have from those who have less. In the work place, we make clear distinctions between all levels because we do not want to be mistaken as filling a position less than what we actually do. With our lips we express appreciation for the part each one plays regardless of role but we would be offended if the cleaner came to sit at our table because they would have made it common. Our definitions place people on pedestals because of what they possess, making those who seemingly possess less, feel insignificant.

Our positions are possible because of the people who help make them a success. The role that everyone, from the cleaner to the Manager, plays is vital in accomplishing the goal. Without the various players in our community, church or organization, we could not possibly meet all the demands. Therefore we should be careful not to step on others in our climb up the ladder as we may need their help on our way back down. My friends, it will always be a matter of time before our test in humility has to be taken. Positions and possessions have never comforted a lonely heart yet.

Lord, remind us that things can change in the blink of an eye. Therefore we would do well to: (1) have real people looking out for us because the fake ones disappear with the gold and (2) the holders of positions will change as sure as the sun will rise on mornings. Today, help us to begin anew.

All my love!

Day 11

Good Morning Friends

Lewis Carroll, in his book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, wrote, ‘If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.’[¹] Having a young child reminded me daily of how indecisive we can be. We think this will change as we get older but unfortunately, we only have more issues to be indecisive about. No sooner do we get one sorted out than new ones arise.

As a little girl my daughter was convinced she wanted to be an architect to follow in her father’s footsteps. Then she was introduced to the weather and daily I would get a prediction on what we could expect. After a term at high school that changed to medicine which was scrapped a term later because, according to her, every time she looks into a microscope, a funny feeling goes through her. A year later, she announced she had finally decided to become a lawyer. I reminded her of the current number of lawyers and the island’s near saturation point with the profession. According to her, the near saturation exists in my generation, not hers, and also by then new areas of law will arise. Of course if one listens to her, one would think I helped Noah build the ark. In the end she pursued engineering.

This indecisiveness occurs in every aspect of our lives. Daily we decide on a course of action for our lives which we change before that day comes to an end. Yes, our human nature makes us weak but also we do not remain focused on our overall objective, making it easy to be distracted. As Christians we have an advantage because we believe in One who is unchanging. Therefore, if we put our hand in His as trusting children and say, Yes, to wherever He leads us, we can be guaranteed that the burden associated with making decisions will be lightened and our mistakes far reduced.

Lord, bless our decision making. May our new strategy be one of turning to You who knows the future, for guidance. In Your love for us, help us so our decisions today will become a beacon for every other decision we will be faced with.

All my love!

Day 12

Good Morning Friends

How many times have we tried to do more than one thing at a time and end up doing less than our best at any? How many times have we beaten up on ourselves for not accomplishing more when we knew we had worked very hard? How many times do we end up in the same place doing the same thing, the same way over and over and yet find ourselves disappointed each time?

Entirely through my fault, I overslept one morning. I awoke a few minutes before my alarm and decided to turn it off so I could pray in absolute silence, a lame excuse as there is always absolute silence where I live. I entered into a prayer that was so deep that when I came out of it, I had slept for almost an hour. My immediate reaction was panic mode as it was close to the time I normally leave home. By the grace of God I was able to do some of what I usually do and leave home running only a few minutes late. There I was driving down the road with a rosary in the hand holding the steering wheel while, with the other hand, I tried to prepare my hair. Sure enough, I was covering little ground, making no progress with my hair and definitely not praying.

At that moment a song by Carrie Underwood came to mind and I asked that Jesus Take The Wheel, not just of my vehicle but of my day. I reminded myself I believe in a God with whom there is no such thing as a coincidence and all I am experiencing is part of a perfect plan, orchestrated by Him. Needless to say I made it to work on time. My hair looked good and I had made contact with Him. I was reminded of a few important lessons: (1) Not everything we do is absolutely necessary, (2) Getting flustered only results in further delays and (3) We will always accomplish more by focusing on one thing at a time.

Lord, beginning today take control of our day. Bless us as we go along our way, confident that Your hand is at work in all we will encounter.

All my love!

Day 13

Good Morning Friends

For days my daughter was fighting the flu. One morning she woke up feeling too sick to make it to school, so I left her with my mother. On our way home that evening, I asked whether she thought she would be able to make it to school in the morning and her response was, The day was manageable but as soon as I saw you, my headache came back. Under normal circumstances I would be heartbroken by those words but the truth is, I understood what she meant and also I have no doubt that I am a good mother.

The way we treat our body one would think we have options when it comes to the replacement of its parts. We go about our day, nibbling on snacks throughout, at times without a single full meal. We go to bed late and wake up very early to begin all over again. We push ourselves to meet deadlines set most times by persons more stressed than we are and juggle superhuman schedules with demands from others who may have less responsibilities than we do, such as, no spouse, children, elderly parents, etc. No time is made for quality one-on-one with our Provider. Many times we start our day with no acknowledgement of His grace, having been given the gift of another day and ending it like the events of the day were all our doing. In short, we slowly destroy ourselves and then wonder why much earlier than normal, our bodies are not responding as they should.

Just a few weeks prior, I was stressed out. My tolerance level for everything and everyone was close to zero and I was contemplating resignation when I got a call from an older brother. After a long talk, he recommended that I take a vacation. I felt much better from my time off and a few conscious adjustments. Seeing me was only a reminder to my daughter of what had to be done and the need for an occasional break from the routine. We need to rest or else we will have to rest for far longer than is helpful to those who depend on us. Knowing that, I left her home the following day.

Lord, may we always remember that the One in control of it all took time out. Who are we not to? Help us begin today.

All my love!

Day 14

Good Morning Friends

I attended an emotional family meeting one evening where my sister commented that the issues which led to the meeting were so disturbing her prayer was, God take me now so there could be a diversion which would put an end to this unnecessary squabble.

This may sound harsh to someone on the outside but there are times when our situations are filled with so much pain and discomfort that a timely death seems an attractive option. Remember our break up with the one we considered our soulmate? Remember that bitter quarrel with our best friend which led to the exchange of sensitive information? Remember those nasty rumors which were brought into circulation by someone with an axe to grind and caused much damage to our reputation? Remember the huge faux pas in public where we wanted the ground to open up and swallow us? They happen to all of us at some point.

Although situations may be extremely unpleasant, no one really wants to die. What we want is a resolution to the problem as speedily and pleasantly as possible. However, as the thin-skinned humans we are, we must spend time feeling sorry for ourselves and seeking the pity of as many as possible. When will we learn that bad situations do not fall from the sky and are always the consequences of an action? When they do happen, we cannot sleep them away; neither can we sweep them under the carpet as the result will be a build-up and sooner or later it will explode. Rather we must make a conscious decision on how they will be dealt with.

My friends, when I find myself in one of these situations, I curl up in my bed and cry my heart out. As the tears fall, I pour out my heart to God as He alone knows the truth – the details I will never bring to light. Only after I know what I have to do, will I tell a friend, giving only necessary information. I have learnt that whether I am right or wrong, I always know the truth in my heart.

Lord, beginning today help us to deal with the issues we face head on so we do not create mountains out of molehills.

All my love!

Day 15

Good Morning Friends

At the end of the first day of high school, my daughter was concerned that she only knew one person in her class and would therefore feel like an outsider. We had a long talk. I advised her to get to know the girls, be polite to all of them, help in whatever way she could but take her time in becoming best friends with any.

Sometime after, having completed an unusually hard working Sunday, I needed to unwind and decided to go for a walk. A few minutes later, I found myself behind six teenage girls having an interesting conversation. Normally I would have gone on my way but the subject captured my interest. Five of them were in total disagreement with an action by the mother of the sixth with regards to a boy. In their opinion her mother was wrong and was unfairly punishing her. I was so impressed when she responded that her mother was right when she advised that her education was her priority and there was very little room for a boy at this time. Her friends disagreed and gave her reasons why she should see things differently. My friends, this was a third year high school student and the other five ranging from fifteen to seventeen had all left school with a child or were already on their own. I am not saying they should not be her friends. I am sure there were reasons for the connection, just obviously not because of good counsel. I made a mental note to have a talk with her to encourage her to continue having her mother as an important source of influence.

The point is we have to be selective from whom we seek advice because not everyone can give. Just because someone is our friend does not mean we should heed his/her advice. Not everyone has our best interest at heart and many times our friends have stronger loyalty to others. We all need friends but let us love them for who they are and give them different roles in our lives based on their gifts from which we can get maximum value.

Lord, grant us wisdom in choosing our friends. Starting now, guide our selection of soulmates so our souls are not in jeopardy.

All my love!

Day 16

Good Morning Friends

My youngest grandnephew had made his entrance into the world as the newest addition to our family and while my entire family was happy, I was ecstatic. It felt as good as it did when I became a parent and I had no doubt that I would love him, hug and kiss him every opportunity I got. I am accused of over-loving babies and some are convinced that I take such good care of them, I should have had a lot more than the one I did.

An aged expression comes to mind, ‘What you do not know is older than you.’ Things are never what they seem and with all the love I have to give, the truth is, I am really a fair weather lover of children. In other words, I take care of them only during the day. I play with them while they are all smiles. When they are ill, my heart breaks and I will remain glued to their side. However, a mother with a crying baby that I am unable to calm down within a short time will have very little help from me. Most importantly, I have never learnt how to give that depth of love to more than one person at the same time and when it comes to children, I am always biased towards the younger.

The baby reminded me of the beauty of life and how precious it is. The beauty, innocence and peacefulness of a sleeping baby always amaze me. The look in their eyes says, ‘I trust you and I know you will try to do what is best for me.’ How do we grow up to become such untrusting people? Are we fed the wrong things? Do we not feel enough love from those around us? What has gone so wrong with us that we can no longer trust anyone including the ‘Source of love and peace’ Who has made all these beautiful promises to us and has been true to His every word?

Lord, bless us so every time we look at a child, we will be reminded of what is being asked of us - to put all things in Your hands believing that You will do what is best for us.

All my love!

Day 17

Good Morning Friends

After a fitful night, I woke up to pouring rain and my first reaction was, ‘Oh God!’ However, I looked out of my window and there, amidst the pouring rain, was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen - full of colour, rich and full of promise of things to come. At that moment, I knew that all would be well. It was going to be a beautiful day, one that the Lord, my Lord, has made and I would be happy and make it a good one, if for no other reason but because I knew it was a gift from Him.

It is easy to allow circumstances to cloud our vision and our day. It is easy to follow the direction of our emotions, wallowing in self-pity and concentrating on what seems to be going every other way except ours. However, every day is an opportunity to begin afresh, to hope anew, to dream differently and to start what we have been procrastinating for a long time. Each new morning puts an end to the day before - all our failings of yesterday, our disappointments, our losses and gives birth to a day full of prospects. The key is to focus on our many blessings and use them to shape what is ahead. Too often we have dreaded the unfolding of a day because we anticipate things that never come to pass. We often waste precious time in a fretful state of mind trying to prevent things that we suspect can possibly happen. Do we realize many times we have no basis for our position except perhaps a misguided gut feeling that may be based on a misguided assumption or poor judgement on our part? Do we realize how far we go sometimes preparing ourselves to react to something just in case it happens and nine out of ten times it never does?

Lord, bless us so our day may be spent rejoicing because it is a wonderful day that You have made. Be with us so we do not waste it on things that are of no consequence. Instead, beginning now may we live each day making it more fruitful than the day before.

All my love!

Day 18

Good Morning Friends

It is amazing what captures our attention in the mundane things of everyday life. As I listened to the news one morning, a statement caught my attention. In the run-off for a particular constituency, one of the contenders commented that his opponent had never done anything to help anyone before. Why are we so quick to judge? Why do we believe we need an audience to display our works? Do we not know that the greatest deeds are done in secret? Our need for public display goes back to the time of Jesus which is why He asked us to be wary of the need for applause even when we are the biggest contributors to a cause.

When we lend a helping hand to the less fortunate among us, some of us like to do so with an audience so the word goes out that, had it not been for us, they would have been eating air or walking half naked. The truth is, the less fortunate have no less pride than we do and the last thing needed is the public confirmation of what people may think is their true state. They would rather be able to thank their benefactor in private and return the deed in the best way they can. I come from a very large family and as a result, my beginning was very humble. There is no doubt our mother stretched her ability infinitely to give us all she could and more but we had benefactors whose contribution I will judge as neither large nor small, just very important. Our gratitude is greater because it remained between us.

I have chosen to maintain a simple life and secretly decide how to allocate the funds I am blessed with every month. No one has to know what I do and in cases where an anonymous donation is brought to light, I am actually embarrassed. Is anyone in a position to say what my contribution is? Things are never what they seem and many times we are grossly misinformed in our judgement of others.

Lord, help us to think twice about what we think we see taking place around us. Just as You have been generous with us, beginning today, help us desire to be generous to others too.

All my love!

Day 19

Good Morning Friends

I was walking through the city one day when I came into contact with a number of acquaintances, some of whom I had not seen in ages. I remembered thinking how odd it was that I was meeting so many people I had not seen in a long time but more importantly, how happy they seemed to see me. I am a big one on hugging and kissing when I meet the relatively few persons I am very close to but on that day everyone was hugging or kissing my cheeks.

What was the good deed? Honestly, I did not know. Perhaps according to the song from the movie, The Sound of Music, ‘Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.’ The truth is, some of them were people who, as far as I could remember, I had only greeted and asked how they were doing whenever we met; others I would have had conversations with; still others may have remembered me from presentations I have made at one function or another, etc. Of course, some I would have consciously treated well.

The point is, for most of them, I never made a conscious effort to be nice to them. They were probably just in the right place at the right time to have benefited from one of my rare perfect moments. We never know what impact our words or actions are having on others. As a result, in our actions or responses to situations, we must try hard to ensure that the effects are positive. The fact is we cannot survive alone and although some of us can live without contact with others for a while, not one of us can do it forever. We know how it feels to be treated badly by others. Therefore let us always try to put ourselves in the shoes of others and live our lives so these shoes are comfortable whether they are on our feet or that of the other person.

Lord, remind us how good it feels to be treated well by others. Beginning today, help us to always try to do the same ourselves.

All my love!

Day 20

Good Morning Friends – PART 1

My focus one morning was on the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, employed at different points in the day but all receiving the same reward. We are a community proud to say we are Christians, yet we see ourselves as being separate and above our fellow Christians who share our faith and far more those of another faith. I can only assume that when we look at ourselves, perhaps we see a model of perfection while everyone else is marred. We say we believe in a God who is full of love, mercy and compassion but we behave as if these qualities are reserved for some and not for others. Do we think God loves some more than others or He has favorites?

Those who have been involved in the Church for a long time are uncooperative when someone new decides to get involved. When one who has lived a wayward life decides to make a change and get active in the Church, we respond with suspicion and raised eyebrows. If an unpleasant aspect of one’s life