We Are All Called To Be Vessels

It is another beautiful morning. It snowed a little more last night. It was quiet and peaceful as I brushed the snow from my cars under the glow of the street light. Then the peacefulness was shattered when a man walked by with a four pound poodle who thought he was a pit bull. It was still snowing lightly as I walked into my building this morning. Snow is wonderful.

I am having one of those moments where I don't know what to say. It's difficult to be inspirational everyday. I have been doing these personal daily thoughts almost everyday for two and a half years via email for my friends, family, and co workers. There's not much I haven't talked about. Occasionally I receive emails with suggested subject matter for my thoughts. I am not trying to be humble when I say that some of you really overrate me. I am not as bright as some of you imagine. If there are days when I seem to have an enlightened view on some aspect of living, it can only come from God and I am being used as a vessel to speak something that someone needs to hear. That doesn't make me special. All of you are called to do the same thing. You may not do daily thoughts like me but in your interactions with family, friends, co-workers and strangers, you may be used to speak a word of kindness or encouragement to another person. The Christian Gospel is often called the "Good News". I love a saying of Francis of Assisi that goes "Preach the Good News everywhere you go. If necessary, use words". The "Good News" is basically and simply about loving God and your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Look around you. It's everyone you see, even the ones that drive you crazy or act a little weird. You don't have to be well educated or smart to love. Chloe hasn't been to school a day in her life but she loves greatly. You don't have to have a degree to be kind. My buddy the Dalai Lama says, "If you can't love everybody, at least don't hurt them." Imagine if we all really tried to live like this! What a different world it would be. I don't do this perfectly. I can say, however, that all the good I have ever done, no matter how small or large the act, has returned to me a thousandfold in my life.