Have you ever had a car pull out in front of you only to turn about 800 ft. later? Or maybe you have been waiting in a checkout line and just as you are finally at the register the clerk says she is taking her break you will have to go to the next register. It is enough to make a person’s blood boil.
Other things that irritate or annoy us are the drivers that come to a dead stop before turning right or driver that never uses their turn signals. How about the people who walk super slowly in front of you, blocking the entire aisle or driveway, or people talking loudly on their cellphone in a public place, such as the grocery store? Then you turn on the news and get passionately provoked.
It is quite easy to become irritated or even enraged, but we are supposed to be better than that, besides, we usually feel terribly bad after we give in to our anger for acting like a jerk. (Or at least I do and believe me it has happened often enough for me to know what I am talking about).
But what if we approached every person and every situation with love, after all it is said there are three things that last, faith hope and love, and the greatest gift is the gift of love. Love heals, protects trusts, hopes, binds, and endures all things. Love conquers fear, evil and misconduct. Love can cure all ailments of humankind because love is powerful and forms a bond between humans. How simple, that is until we attempt to replace frustration with compassion and kindness. No one ever said it was easy, but it’s worth it.
Imagine all people feeling appreciated, valued, and respected. If loved, would anyone resort to violence, drugs, or other forms of behavior? Love would cause us to speak tenderly and sympathetically out of genuine love for one another. We could not allow someone to live in darkness therefore we indeed would be our brother’s keeper.
We are all worthy of love, but we are not all loveable. Many of us need help with our ability to love. According to Psychology Today “love-ability” comes from the practice of self-love, experience, knowledge of oneself, and learning from mistakes.
So often we return sarcasm with sarcasm or frustration with frustration instead of returning every encounter with love. If we were more confident of ourselves and/or loved ourselves, we would be able to approach and respond to everyone and every experience with love, and the more we behaved in such a manner the easier it would become to continue. Better still we would be giving people, what they needed to become better versions of themselves.
To a person love is what fertile soil, adequate rainfall and abundant sunshine is to the flower. Love is necessary for a person’s well-being, promoting happiness and allowing every person to grow beyond their current condition. What’s more, love is unselfish and contagious causing it to be experienced and shared as a ripple effect throughout.
To me, it sounds nice enough to make the attempt. Therefore, I will be adding this practice to my Lenten observance.
“Love conquers all things; let us too, surrender to Love.” ~Virgil
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King
“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” ~Proverbs 10:12
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” ~Mother Teresa
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, March 5, Goat Farmers in Yorkshire will offer a drive-thru Fish Fry dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. No indoor dining is available. Dinners include fish, french fries, apple sauce and a dinner roll for $9.
Friday & Saturday, March 5 and 6, the Versailles Vet’s Club will have Karaoke downstairs in the bunker beginning at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 7, St. Denis Youth Ministry in Versailles has their Fried Chicken dinner pick up from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the west doors of the old Middle School on the south side of the church parking lot.
Sunday, March 7, Versailles Vet’s Club will host Singo (Musical Bingo) “in the Bunker” from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
Congratulations to those named to the 2020-21 All-MAC Girls Bowling teams: Mallory York, 1st Team, Morgan Rinderle, 2nd Team and Emma Billenstein and Payton Groff received Honorable Mention. As well as the 2020-21 All-MAC Boys Bowling teams: Sam Bensman and Landon Henry, 1st Team, Tyler Gehret, Justin Heitkamp and Jay Mumaw, 2nd Team, and Derek Morris, Honorable Mention.
Happy birthday to Shawn Unger, Amanda Borchers, Karen Moeller, Lois Ann Baker, Judy Gelhaus, Tom Eilerman, Lesley Rismiller, Buff Francis, Sonja Francis, Larry Simmons, Kathy Wilson, Missy Francis, Marlene Bergman, Sara Cain, Tammy Shafer, Nicole Klipstine, Dustin Lewis, Madelyn Holzapfel, R.J. Lewis, Dave Holfinger, Garry Benning, Jeannie Miller, Ted Schmitmeyer, Jim Groff, Shirley Subler, Marilyn Barga, Carolyn Mescher, Kaleb Petitjean, Skyler Clune, Corbin Johns, Gary Kunk, Jr., Vicki Wiltshire, Danielle Kingrey, and Randy Grilliot. Anniversary wishes to Katie and Jim Knapke and Janice and Urban Tebbe.
Heartfelt sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Mary Wehrman (66), Marilyn Schmitmeyer (84), and all those who are in our hearts but not mentioned by name as the anniversary of their passing nears.
Please give your supportive and healing prayers for all those who have lost loved ones, the lonely, sick, suffering, addicted, and those of us dealing with any of life’s countless challenges. Pray too for our lawmakers and government officials.
