THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 - FINDING VALUE IN LIFE

 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021  - FINDING VALUE IN LIFE

I’m doing a series on death and dying.  As you know, I am a “Pollyanna” - I look at things in a positive sense.  Dying is generally NOT one of those things that people look at positively.  Depending on your faith, and your perspective, there will be something after death - an “Eternal Life”.  This is a belief and some people believe this and some don’t.  (But, I do believe in a Heaven of some nature!!)

I have written about not really understanding an infinite God.  

Isaiah 55 says: Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

To me, dying will open a door.  I admit I have no idea of what door it will open, what my “life” (will it be called a life”) be like.  I know I am going to die.  Since my fate is 100% of death - sometime in the next 50 years (and that would imply that I live to 123 years!!!) - I know that I need to embrace the concept - I AM GOING TO DIE!!!

I am trying to love - and trying to find value in my life!!  

Again, I am going to use my mother (and my father) in my example.  People loved my parents.  My father was a jokester, but my mother was a real lover.  She really loved people.  I’ve seen her meet somebody and hold the person’s name and with conviction ask how they are.  If she knows something about them (like their spouse has cancer), she will ask how the spouse is.  

While I didn’t live close to my parents in their last years, my sister did.  She tells me that people will come up to her and say “I really miss Helen, she was such a wonderful person”!!  

(There is a Biblical verse - “Well done good and faithful servant”.   And, I think God could say that to my mother).

SO - what is OUR value in life?  I admit that when I stopped teaching and then had my major surgery, I thought I didn’t have much value in life.  (Of course, I was wrong).  

I think I have some of my mother in me.  I smile (it might be hard to see), I say “hi” (in the grocery store, I sometimes get people looking at me - thinking “Do I know you?”  I wave at cars.  The other day as I was walking to the post office to mail Valentine’s Cards, I got 8 wave-backs from the cars I waved to!!!  

I’m learning it is about associations, about friends, about putting on a happy face.  I have called myself a Pollyanna - and that is one of my values in life - being positive and upbeat.  

Unfortunately, with COVID and isolation, it has been hard to still be upbeat.  There are people I email frequently (probably not frequently enough), [Aside, I didn’t imply that I’m perfect!!!]  

A smile can go a long way for somebody who is down.  With my life coaching, I try to put some positive into my client's lives.  

There are lots of ways to be valuable.  If you have the resources, you can share funds with good charities.  If you have the time (and a positive attitude), you can visit the elderly, shut-ins, and others. If you are not a people-person, you can work in the background - helping at a food pantry - putting food on shelves; helping in a hospital, and taking flowers and cards to patient rooms; even just counting the collection at church.  Things that need to get done - that hiring somebody might not be in the budget.  If you are bedridden, you can be a real prayer warrior.  There are many values.

Attitude is everything.  I thought I didn’t have value - and I contemplated ending my life - and I had people in my life restoring my faith and my hope.  

I think being a grandparent can be a very valuable thing.  LOVE WINS - and loving your grandchildren is important.  

When asked what is the greatest commandment, my Jewish philosophy said “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength”.  Then he added, “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  

You do need “Self-love” - you have value, you have a reason to be alive.  And once we believe in our own personal value, then we can love our neighbor!!!  

Yes - we all are going to die.  Let’s make that journey in a loving, dignified, and loving process.

LOVE WINS!!

HUGS!!

Karen