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Stopped

I stopped abruptly in the middle of my kitchen. I felt as if my feet could not move. There I had to hold back tears. I was thankful; so very thankful.

I had just scrolled through my Instagram pictures. Not the feed, but the pictures I posted that day. I had also just read the fourth encouraging text message of the day. I stopped because in that moment I realized my life does not mirror what I am being told it should look like right now and I like it.

My Instagram story from yesterday is one of service and good people. It tells a story of how people of varying ages, races, cultures, families, and lives came together to do good in this world. This Insta story was not fabricated or edited to make more beautiful. The beauty was there; unaltered.

My day started as most Thursdays do: preparing for the ladies Bible study at our church. I am deeply honored and so completely humbled that I get to be a part of this incredible group of women. Christians are getting a bad rap these days. The information coming at us is ugly and cuts deep. But, as I walked into the room filled with 90+ women, I saw otherwise. I saw women coming together absolutely full of joy not because all their problems were solved or all their opinions were accepted. These ladies were full of joy because they were filling shoe boxes with basic toiletry items and little toys that would be shipped to boys and girls across the globe for Christmas. They were excited because they knew they were doing something beyond themselves and that felt good. Our goal was 80 boxes. We received 106. I wish everyone could have felt the ambiance of the room that day.

This group consists of marrieds, divorcees, single moms, single women, women struggling to have kids, women who don't want kids, widows, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, working ladies, homemakers, whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics. The only thing that we have in common in that room is Jesus. And you know what is amazing? We all came together and served. All of us. With a smile on our face and an overwhelming sense of joy in our souls. Incredible.

That afternoon, my family gathered at our local fire department to hear my 5th grade son and his school friends sing to our fire fighters. It was a show of appreciation for our first responders. Our kids sang about being proud of the USA, being appreciative of others, and that they may one day see world peace. I about lost it. I was so proud of our ten year olds. We don't give our kids enough credit. They are wiser than we think.

I received messages of encouragement yesterday. Messages that talked about how many food packs ladies made for kiddos who are on free or reduced lunch. These kids will now have food because someone else decided life is not just about them.

I stopped in my tracks in my kitchen because I realized in that moment that this is life. I can get on Facebook or read news articles and become prideful, angry, frustrated, stoic, sad, and disillusioned. Or, I can open my eyes to the life happening right before my eyes. Every where I turn, I see good people doing good things. These "people" are a beautiful representation of God's creation. They don't all look like me. They don't all live like me. They don't all sound like me or think like me. But they are good and doing good and that is our world.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" 1 Corinthians 13:13

My life is what I make of it. I will face challenges. I will feel defeated. I will not always get my way. The world outside me may look scary and grim, but I will never lose hope. Because love rules and always will. It's in our DNA. Look around today. Notice the good in others. See that there is hope because we still have breath.

Love & Blessings,
Meg

"Do to others as you would have them do to you" Luke 6:31

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good" Romans 12:9

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31

"Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:10

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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