Losers and Winners...

There are no winners with mortality...we all will go the way of dust, of the wind, of thought and longing, of poetry and song...what song will we leave behind, what poetry said over our grave, what thought given to the lives we led and the things we did, said, lived out for all to see..

This morning is not dark nor dim...no, it is bright and shiny; full of hope, of re-birth, of love and the coming together of those who share in grief, in sorrow...every moment lit as though from within, each hug gifted with more, each touch charged with love, with acceptance, with grace and gratitude...

Oh the church was full yesterday...in the main and up in the nosebleed section, full. A testament to a life having impact, having left a deposit of selfless love, a smile, a joke, a laugh, a helping hand building that deck, a home of safety for four boys and their myriad friends, an uncle who will never be forgotten...an uncle who deposited all the unconditional love he could in the time he had, and by the words spoken by young nieces and nephews, that love was overwhelmingly evident, accepted and held close to the heart.

I scanned the crowd, up and down, the type of faces, the many different people all gathered in one place for one man...and I prayed, hoped all would see, hear, know and follow the example left by someone who will always be sorely missed.

My daughter recited a quote yesterday that was incredibly appropriate to the day...

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

My prayer today is for me....ok and so many others, not the least of which are for my children each and every morning...but this one, yes, this one is for me...may I give love and acceptance in just this way, may I follow the example led by one who thought always of others first, always. May those I come in contact be the better for the encounter, may they leave feeling loved, cherished, needed....that they brought a smile to someone's face, they are worth the living, the hardships life guides our way at times...

Peaceful does not mean a walk-over, a doormat, easy going to the point of ridiculous...no, it means standing for what is yours, loving those within and without your circle as you can and as they allow..

It means standing against atrocities big and small....

It means standing in the gap whatever that means...

It means going to bat for the loved ones, the lost ones, those in need...

It means speaking truth and then holding those accountable who would torment, torture, misuse, abuse...

This is love, this is right and true...this is honour and integrity...

God did not, in my humble opinion, put us on this earth to suffer constantly, to bow to the evil running rampant in those who walk this earth hidden in the shadows...doing their craft behind the scenes, under the radar...no I truly believe we are here to first of all live, and live to the fullest, and then we are tasked, TASKED my friends with protecting the innocent, the infirm, those who cannot protect themselves.

I will love to the fullest no matter the rejection, no matter the result or love returned...I will stand and protect; family, forever friends, lost ones, survivors, the innocent, and lastly, myself. No matter the cost, it is small in comparison to living in a shell, under a rock, hiding my face from the pain, the grief, the evil being committed next door, upstairs, down the street, at the grocery store...no dear friends, treasures all...we stand or we fall...

We speak or we hide, tormented with all the words unsaid, unspoken...

We stand and walk or we fall, we fail in this beautiful thing, this at times painful thing we call life...

Let us walk it out each day...purposing in our hearts to reach out to that stranger, strike up a conversation with that quiet coworker, spare a smile and greeting to the grumpy one in the corner...we know not what they live with, what hell they live in each and every day...we know not the battle raging inside their heads knowing they must go home at the end of their day to THAT...

We give and we breathe new life....we speak kindly and with respect, with compassion and we grow in stature, in love, within....

Give yourself this love, this kindness, this long-suffering compassion...you have need of it too my dear friends...give generously on those days you struggle the hardest...

May God be ever present in your lives today and each day forward, He is THE Waymaker, THE Light in the Darkness, THE Miracle Worker, THE Promise Keeper...He will make a way my friends....

Stand tall now, walk proud and speak your truth with humility, with dignity and grace...you got this!!