Be Love

Just for today,
 “Be Love.”

Easier said than done. 

Just when I think I’m a loving person, someone says or posts something and I feel the rage of disagreement well up within me.  Not so loving thoughts appear. I like to think that I’m open minded, but it’s difficult with the extreme polarization that exists today.  

A New Outlook. 

My husband Jim and I took a staycation this past week.  It was wonderful to have some down time, to enjoy being together, relaxing, reading, exercising, and having some of our favorite meals.  During this time, I completed a book titled “Reckless Love” by Tom Berlin.  Berlin reminded me of the power of God.  With God’s help I can become a better lover of people, not like me.  

I started reading the book on vacation because I was discouraged.  My faith is being challenged with my country’s (USA's) political extremes.  Two parties, for the most part, not willing to value each other or listen to one another. People of faith exist on both sides of the isle. How do I come to grips with the fact that I know Christians who are members of different political parties who believe their doing God's Will?

Through Berlin's book I realized that's not the question I should be asking.  Maybe more like, what can I do to be more loving toward people that I don't agree with? Or, how can I be a part of the solution rather then fueling the problem?

The book encourages us to have a relationship with God. To let God take us to places we’ve never been before. 

Berlin mentioned, how Jesus was into experiential learning when it came to his disciples. 

"In many ways, Jesus was reckless. Rather than meet faithful Jews in the synagogue or Temple, Jesus' path took them to outcasts, Gentiles, Roman soldiers, women, people who were physically and mentally ill, and some said to be demon possessed... They saw him rejected by old neighbors of his hometown... Rather than ridicule sinners, he forgave them. When he heard of a man who lived among the tombs who was a danger to himself and others, Jesus got in a boat and went to look for him." - pgs 9-10 of e-book "Reckless Love"

I was reminded that I’m responsible for me and the choices that I make and for my relationship with Christ. To remember why I became a Christian in the first place.  Christ showed how much he loved me by sacrificing his life.  With gratitude, I desire to “Be Love,” with God’s help.  I need God's help and guidance now more than ever.  How about you? 

Also, that once in a relationship with God, if I'm willing to listen, there’s transformation. Berlin lays out some guidance to assist in that transformation, drawing closer to God, to “Be Love.”

Begin with Love
Expand the Circle

Lavish Love
Openhearted Love
Value the Vulnerable
Emulate Christ

If you, too, are struggling with loving others, you disagree with, and would like to experience the transformational power of God, I’d like to invite you to read, “Reckless Love” by Tim Berlin, during Lent this year, either on your own or with a group.  My church, Hope Ministries, will be hosting a Lenten Study on ZOOM, using this book, starting Wednesday, February 24 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm for six weeks.  For more information or to sign up Be Love form. You are welcome to join us.

Love verses Hate

For those of us who say that we love everyone?

Photo by Cal Shook - 2020

Do we?

I thought I did, but confess there are many feelings within me that aren’t very loving toward people who don’t act and think like me. Please God, forgive me and heal me, so I might be a help rather than a hindrance.  That I might be able to hear the fears and concerns of people not like me.

As I’ve spent time praying, I’m drawn back to the basics of my faith, of a power greater than myself, which I call God.

God lovingly created the sun, moon, stars, air, water, vegetation, animals, and humans - a creation with everything needed to survive and thrive.  Then God gave us humans the gift of choice.  How we choose to interact is up to us.  In any given situation, the choices we make have an effect on the outcome.  Will my actions emulate the characteristics of love or hate?

Love  verses  Hate

Care                  Oppress
Plenty               Want
Safe                  Fearful
Healthy Toxic
Harmony            Discord
Listen Tune-out
Solutions            Impasse
Fruitful                Unproductive
Peace                Strife
Thrive Perish

What if...Imagine a World...

It's been hard to focus on writing a family memoir with all that is happening in the United States right now.   My heart grieves.  In working through this grief, the following words made their way to the page - bringing comfort in the knowledge that there is hope.

What If...

What if...
    fear keeps us from thinking clearly and making wise decisions?

What if...
    an "us" versus "them" attitude, if allowed to fester, would lead to our destruction?

What if...
    each of us were to take responsibility for our own actions instead of blaming and punishing others?

What if...
    the perceptions we've given our creator God aren't limited to our personal and corporate beliefs?

Imagine...

Imagine a world where...
   "Perfect Love" has the ability to take away our fear if we let it.

Imagine a world where...
    we value others not like us, by spending time with and listening to their stories; discovering our common humanity.

Imagine a world where...
    each of us takes responsibility for our actions - apologizing and making amends when we've caused another harm.

Imagine a world where...
   each of us knows how it feels to be valued, nurtured and comforted by the presence of our creator "God" - author of "Perfect Love".

Imagine a world where...
   there is Peace.

Note:  With the conclusion of this blog and a brighter outlook, the memoir writing continues.

Thrive

How can we thrive?

The 20 words below are an experiment in "brevity with meaning" as I contemplated the question, "How can we thrive?"  My prayer is that all may thrive!

Thrive

by Cal Shook

Need

Lack

Poverty

Decay

Plenty

More

Accumulate

Hoard

Shoes

Yours 

Mine

Switch

Walk

Experience

Understand

Empathize

Listen

Collaborate

Abundance

Thrive

She Lost Her "Best Friend"

A simple Landry family story about the legacy we leave and a not so typical friendship through the eyes of thirteen year old. Though given in the first person, it is compiled from various conversations with my great Aunt Anna Bella Landry (Bradley) and research information available at the time of this writing.

Michael and Charlotte (Bouchard) Landry Family - Circa 1915

January 1917
Halifax, Nova Scotia

I’m thirteen years old and I’m crying uncontrollably. My best friend is gone. Please, it can’t be true, I need her too much. I’m a mess.

The rest of the family is attending the wake and funeral.  They thought my constant crying would be too disruptive, so I’m home.

While sobbing, my thoughts turn to this past year.  It started off great. Each day my younger sister Elizabeth and I would get up early and help Mom get breakfast ready.  Because we have five older brothers, we love having time with Mom.  There are actually four boys at home because Leo has gone overseas to fight for our country.  Also, there would have been three girls, but older sister Bernadette died two months after she was born.

Following breakfast, Dad, Joe, and Dan head off to work. Elizabeth and I clear the table then head out to St. Joseph’s School.  While we’re gone Mom cleans the dishes and does other chores like washing laundry and keeping the house spotless.  All of this is done by hand. We didn’t have a dishwasher or a washer and dryer.

When we returned home, Abe and Jimmy head off to school.  Girls go in the morning and boys in the afternoon because the boy’s school is being repaired.  Mom is spending more time teaching me how to keep house.

Then one dreadful day in June, we got news that Leo had been killed in the Battle of Y-Press in Belgium.  This left a big hole in our family and Mom was never the same.

Summer into fall is hard to remember.    As the days got colder and colder Mom continually went outside, without a coat on, to hang laundry.   When asked about it she’d say she had too much to do to bother with her coat.  Our over protective Mom, not wearing a coat didn’t make sense to me.  Then she got weak and started coughing.  Before long she was getting behind on everyday chores.  Our immaculate house was looking a bit disorganized and laundry was piling up.  Elizabeth and I were worried and so were Dad and the boys.  Mom was hospitalized and diagnosed with Tuberculosis.   She didn’t make it.   I not only lost my Mom, I lost my best friend.

Note:   Great grandmother Charlotte (Bouchard) Landry was 46 years old when she passed away. She sewed the dresses that Anna and Elizabeth were wearing in the picture above.  Charlotte was thrifty with money and she raised children who knew how to take care of it and provide for their families. Her love and dedication to her family live on in the current generations.

Landry family picture:
Back row from left to right –  Private Leo , Michael (Dad), Joseph, Annie Adams (Dan's first wife), Daniel, Charlotte (Mom)
Front Row:  Anna Bella, Elizabeth

School Days – A Lesson on Fear

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (ESV)

With her tea cup clanging as it hits the saucer, my great Aunt Anna lifts the cup to her lips and takes a sip.  I sit in eager anticipation of the history that is about to come to life.

Extreme discipline is at the heart of the story below based on Anna's recollection.

Circa 1915 

Mary is in the principal's office standing in front of Sister Jaine.

"Hold out your hands."

Reluctantly Mary lifts her hands, palms down.

With a ruler, Sister Jaine whacks them.

As the beating continues, “You were told not to walk across the Protestant church yard and you disobeyed.”

Mary’s knuckles start to bleed.

“I hope you have learned your lesson,” says Sister Jaine, “You may return to class.”

Mary returns to class with bloodied knuckles.  The pain and swelling make it hard to concentrate on her lessons.

Once classes are over, Mary walks down the stairs and finds Anna waiting for her.  They head out of the building together. Holding out her bloodied knuckles, Mary shares her story with Anna as they walk home.

“It’s not right, Mary, you shouldn’t have been punished like this,” says Anna.

“When I get home, I’m telling my parents what happened,” says Mary.

The next day Mary’s father walks her to school and into the principal’s office. In a fit of rage, he informs Sister Jaine that Mary will no longer be a student here.

The following afternoon, Anna heads from class to the main entrance of the school.  Sadness sets in with the knowledge that Mary will no longer be joining her on the walk home. Then the image of Mary’s bloodied knuckles comes to mind and the wrongness of it haunts her. They tell us that we’re not allowed to cross a Protestant church yard. What is that going to do to us? They tell us we can’t enter a synagogue or any other church not Catholic. I’m not going to become another religion by entering their building or walking across their yard.  Why are we being taught to hate? This doesn’t make sense.

Afterward

Following the telling of this story, Anna proclaimed, “I still believe in my religion, but why in the name of God was it wrong to cross the yard of a church that’s not Catholic. I went to Jewish ceremonies. I went to Greek baptisms. Doing these things did not make me choose another religion. I believe everyone has a right to their religion. You can believe what you want, just don’t push it on others.  I married a Protestant and I loved him just as much as if he were Catholic.” 

Reflection

When fearful I need to check my words and actions to see if there's a ruler, of sorts, in my hand. Fear clouds my judgment and won't allow me to make informed and caring decisions. My great Aunt Anna would not let anyone bully her into prejudice.  Checking out other faiths, as well as people not like her, Anna's life was enriched with an eclectic group of friends.

Who do you identify with in this story?  Are you the child with bloodied knuckles?  Maybe you're the friend who dared to enter the yard and building of another faith?  Or maybe, like me, there are times when you're fearful and it's tempting to pick up a ruler.

Note:
Anna Bella (Landry) Bradley was 97 years old when she revealed this story. She lived on her own until about six weeks before her death at the age of 103.
Photo Credit:  All three photos from www.pixabay.com