I have a lovely friend who quite often talks about the "Artist" vs the "Scientist", she & I being "artists". I'm sure that there are other "kinds" of people but the point is figuring out how you're wired so that you can find your place in the world & get to know why you see things the way that you do. Perhaps it was all those science minded sorts that so carefully compartmentalized life for us all, or maybe it was the religious crowd, either way, I no longer believe in separatism. Life is a whole deal...wholesomely, wholeheartedly to be lived in full colour. Every day is sacred.
If I figure out I who I really am, rather than, who I think I'm supposed to be...with all the gentle kindness I can muster...cos He says I'm to love me too, not just everyone else... then I begin to really live.
Gentle Kindness by Kelly Rae Roberts: artist, author, possibilitarian
If I then ditch the adult view finder, the only question I ever really need to ask after that, is: "What would I want them to do for me? It's really that simple... and mostly the answer is: be kind.
Margaret Tarrant
When you've abandoned the adult lense, almost everything starts to look different.
Walking home from kindy just down the road, my nephew stopped to stare at a bush, at this leaf, in fact..& then stare some more..finally concluding "someone painted that!" He then carefully picked the admired leaf & carried it ever so gently all the way home.
I've found a lot lately, that, goodness loves kindness. No wonder the Victorians made up the notion of the three graces...
The Christian Graces...faith, hope & charity. Goodness, gracious me!
Back when I was really sick, for a very long time, I learnt the "it'll be ok, just do the next thing in front of you" technique....so, when dear Nina took her 90 year old life in her hands & crossed the road to buy plums last week it was easy to be kind & sit her down & patch her up when we discovered she had fallen in to her vicious old lemon tree & cut here arm to shreds.
& (since that's what we are about selling fruit at the gate & stuff) when we saw a family moving in down the road, & found the move was in order to escape the devastation in their lives caused by the Christchurch earthquake, it was a simple thing to drop in a box of fruit...just being kind (3 foster kids)
Probably should pop in again really.
& goodness, why it's everywhere! Even here!
You've just gotta keep practicing it & keeping your eyes peeled.
Goodness & kindness hold hands with gentleness & integrity & before you know it you've got a little "Sonshine"
It's all just...
The glue that holds the whole thing together: authenticity.
Being real, brave, telling truth & being grateful.
He lives in goodness (all goodness). He lives in kindness. He lives in LOVE.
That's why He made that remarkable journey to the cross..because He loved us with utter abandon...He's nuts about us...imagine that!
As I have pondered this time of Lent, I have come to the joyful conclusion that I am enough & He has done enough & loves me more than enough & that we are all sorted, for all time and that is pretty amazing. So I'm just showing up & I'm grateful as anything.
If you'd like to catch up with other posts along this theme (well probably none quite like this one!) I mean Lent, then please do make your way to France by clicking right here & you'll be able to find Floss & links to some other ponderings over there.
With very kindest regards and much
Posts
This is a beautiful post and the words really jump right out at me. Being ourselves, finding the real 'me' deep down is such an important part of our spiritual journey - the person that God sees underneath the layers, the reason he died for us. Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this post. All Jesus asked us to do was to love one another;you'd think it would be simple but many people find it alien to be kind. When I am kind to strangers they view me with suspiscion. Why? It seems normal to me.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Thank you for this...lots to think about and pause and meditate on. I need to try to be kinder, I think...
ReplyDeleteI smiled and smiled as I read this post. My heart says, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" as I read your wise words. Supernatural peace comes from the Holy One, not from our own silly minds, our plans. It's so pretty over here. Thank you for pausing.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, thank you, so much to think about in your words.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with such simplicity. I think we often complicate things like goodness or kindness and think we need to theologize and do something spectacular when in actual fact it is the simple small acts of love, those that go un-noticed apart from to the person who needed them that really make us good and kind. It is when we do the things that anyone could do, but so often doesn't.
ReplyDelete