Countdown to the New Year...T minus 31 days...! 2010 is almost over...Christmas is almost upon us...
Of course, I need not to remind you. haha
The holiday season...what do you think of?
Quite possibly Christmas trees, shopping, snow, turkeys, music...
I think about love and compassion. What better way to think positively this holiday season than with a happy, cheerful heart when you think about what this season really means? We are entering a new decade with 2011, and with the country's economic crisis and things gone array, we must sit and count the blessings we have received, and provide for others in their time of need as well. Needs rise...soon even you (who may be blessed in abundance) may fall, but always remember this: you reap what you sow.
Why am I writing about this? Well, I want to share a story with you. Even though this man has written a book reviewed with good ratings from the New York Times (Breakfast at Sally's), he lives in my town with meager provisions...better than before, but still not the same. His name is Richard LeMieux. He wrote an amazing story about being homeless in a neighboring city of Seattle...one with hardships, engulfing your mind with what it means to be a voiceless citizen, a broken spirit amongst many other lost souls, and struggling to get by each and every hour on the streets of a tired town. I wish I could rewrite his book on my blog for you all to read, but there would be some copyright issues with that... ;-)
This man used to be wealthy...he had cars, boats, expensive vacations...you name it. When his business failed, he lost everything, including his family and home. All that was left were some of his clothing, a beat up van, and his precious best friend, Willow, a friendly dog. He explains the political side of being homeless, the sorrows, the accusations, the stigmas...but in the end, he found himself and he is wealthier now because of his endurance. His riches may not be here on earth, but they are most definitely awaiting him with God! This man's journey to salvation was a hard road, but it is an amazing story. I cried several times reading it...it amazes me just how humble we become when put in desperate measures.
I strongly believe that God will take us from our homes, our luxurious lives and bring us to a place where we never believed we would be...but so will the enemy. Make something good happen everywhere you are, and have faith where ever you are in your life because God is always with you. "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" – Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV). What I understand this verse to mean is that if you look for the bad in everything, then all you see is darkness. However, if you train your mind to look for the good, then you will see light, and, therefore, God is with you. What LeMieux wrote about was the passage he took to be saved...eternally saved. His heart is with God now, whereas before, he claimed to never have believed in God. He found the light in it all.
Let us all be the light in the world...regardless of our circumstances because you never know if you will be called to a place where you're not comfortable...you're not the same. You never know where God wants you to be, so be thankful always and shine your love everywhere!
Brightly shining love, peace, and light your way,
Emmy
