Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Making my World a Better Place



W
hen I was
13, one of the most important people in my life passed away. One of my fondest memories of my grandmother is one Sunday afternoon, sitting in a meeting at our church. My grandmother usually observed things around her until something she was so passionate about came up in a discussion. This afternoon, my grandmother began began to speak so boldly and passionately that I will never forget it. The discussion that day was on the youth. It wasn't just the youth of the church though. It was the youth in general. She loved children. She believed in children.
Today is my grandmother's birthday. I still take time to remember the things she taught me on this day. She brought me many happy times by showing me the many simple joys life could bring if we only chose to look at the things God gives us in life. I use to love to listen to stories of things my grandmother would do when she was raising my aunts, uncles, and my father. It taught me how much life was different in history. It also helped me learn things from the past that I wanted to be different in my life in the present and in the future. Today I'd like to share with you from One Day At A Time in AL-ANON once again.

"When our problems enclose us and
saturate our thoughts, we find ourselves
in an isolation that gives us an acute
sense of loneliness. we may confide in
friends, but underneath we feel nobody
understands what we are going through.
Dwelling on our troubles only
shuts out a world that is waiting to be enjoyed.
Nothing has real power to deprive us of the delights
to be found in many daily experiences- even a routine
household task,well done. For those of us who are Fortunate enough to have young lives in our care, we can forget our troubles in loving attention to them and their development. Observing our children is like reading a fascinating and often amusing book!"

"I may have big troubles but I can, if I will, make them less painful
by turning my thoughts to happier things. I will not isolate
myself in my problems. I will observe and enjoy what is good
and pleasant in the world around me. "

"Let me not deprive myself of the many little joys that are mine for the taking."

empahsis mine

I know in many ways my grandmother did many things to make my world a better place for me but now the responsiblity lies upon me to continue that job for me and for those that come after me. Most days I watch T.V. I don't usually see much good, but today as I watched the morning news show, I listened as a musician introduced his new album. He explained how when we choose not to deal with what is inside of us then someone in our life has to whether it be a spouse, a friend, a neighbor, or our children. I thought on this for a moment and realized just how powerful this was. Don't deprive yourself or others of the little joys God is trying to give us in each day. If you have a child take advantage of the time you have with them and see their life for one day as that of a fascinating or amusing book. Take time to see something new and make the world a better place.

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