LOVE WINS - Friday, November 20, 2020

 LOVE WINS - Friday, November 20, 2020

The theme this week has been HOPE.  I’ve mentioned 1 Corinthians 13:13 “Now abides these three, faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love”.

HOPE - looking, searching for, expecting something you can’t see.  I’m hoping my friend Rob will recover from COVID.  I’m hoping to see my family sometime next year.  I’m hoping that we get reasonable rain in Texas in the next three months. I don’t know if any of the three things in the previous sentence WILL come true, but I am hoping for them to happen.  I am ‘believing’ they will happen.

So, let’s compare hope and dread.

Some dread comments:

-. I dread going to the doctor as she might find COVID (or cancer or diabetes or other)

-. I dread going to work as I might get fired

-. I dread going to the gym as people will laugh at me

-. I dread staying home alone - it is spooky

-. I dread getting my mail as there will probably be too many bills that I can’t pay

WOW - pretty negative.

How about making those statements positive.

-. I love going to the doctor as she might find COVID (or cancer or diabetes) and we can work on solving it - instead of sitting at home worried about it

-. I love going to work.  I get paid for what I do, I’m learning to be better, I really like working there.  I love my colleagues.  

-. I love going to the gym.  Yes, there are some super athletes there, but most of us are just trying to take care of our bodies and get healthier.  I love that I have this opportunity.

-. I love staying home - and going out.  People are exciting - and even those that are different (and maybe a little strange to me), are great when you get to know them.

-. I love getting mail and especially the bills.  That means I’m not homeless, I have a roof over my head, I’m paying for electricity, water, sewer, and so much more that makes my life worth living.  (Can you imagine living 100 years ago without indoor toilets or without electricity.  I’m sure glad I have a place to live!!

MONDAYS

Over my working years, I heard different things about the working days.  I heard people say “I hate Mondays”.  Why would people hate Mondays?  Because it was back to work after a weekend doing fun things.  But, they had it all wrong.  Mondays ALLOWED the person to have weekends doing fun things!!!  If you didn’t have a job, you could lounge around on Mondays (and complain about not having a job and not having any money).

FRIDAYS

Likewise, Fridays became known as TGIF - Thank God it is Friday!!  But, again, Fridays made it so you could enjoy your weekend.   Why can’t we have a TGIM - Thank God it is MONDAY - and I get to go to work.  (This year, with the layoffs and pandemic, I can imagine those without jobs jumping at the opportunity to work and make money)

ATTITUDE:

Love is an attitude - a positive attitude

Hope is an attitude - a positive attitude

Dread is an attitude - a negative attitude

Hate is an attitude - a negative attitude

I enjoyed working with Dr. Richard Gowen years ago at Dakota State.  Dick Gowen was an upbeat person.  We didn’t have “tasks” - we had “opportunities”.  One of the concepts he used was an OTE - Opportunity to Excel.  This was a time to make our little campus into a great place.  

(Aside, I am so proud of Dakota State - it has gotten to be a well-known niche university.  The specialties of Dakota State make it an excellent campus - and much as that (in my opinion) goes back to Dick Gowen (and my colleagues) stepping up to make an outstanding campus!! )

I am “embracing” LOVE; I am “embracing” HOPE.  

I am avoiding hate; I am avoiding dread.

EVERYTHING

We are now less than a week from one of the best holidays EVERY - Thanksgiving.  

I love1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - “Be full of joy all the time. Never stop praying.  In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS. This is what God wants you to do because of Christ Jesus.”

Be full of joy ALWAYS; NEVER stop praying; in EVERYTHING give thanks.  Are you adjusting your attitude to be thankful!!!  

So, are you full of hope for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and 2021?  Life is so good, that every day is exciting - new adventures are ahead of us - are we going to pursue those adventures or shrink back into ourselves?  

With new COVID vaccines coming out, I am HOPEFUL for a great 2021!!  I am hopeful for a restored unity for the United States - where we can disagree without being disagreeable; where we can love even those that are opposite.  I’m hopeful we can work on Black Lives Matter.  I’m hopeful we can avoid the steam of a civil war over abortion, women’s rights; and over LGBTQ issues; that we can learn to love and appreciate all people   I’m hopeful that I can be healthy and have a voice in my community and world.  I’m hopeful for God’s infinite blessings to fall upon us!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS!!

Karen