Love in My Heart

I received a particularly disturbing email from someone I love yesterday. Someone I have a long association with. Someone who is dear to me. Someone with miles to go before he "sleeps." It was full of harsh, hateful, and judgmental comments about others. I'm glad I was in a hurry, because my natural tendency as has been sometimes recently, was to reply in kind and point out how vile his thinking was. I did not have time to respond in the moment. Such a lesson for me! There are times I have used wisdom and paused, but more often than not, the fiery words within me get composed and sent. Last night as I was preparing for bed, I decided to read a bit in Today I Begin a New Life.

While reading about the Art of Connection and Intrinsic Validation, I read these words from Og Mandino.

And how will I confront each whom I meet? In only one way. In silence and to myself I will address him and say I Love You. Though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips and echo in my voice; and his heart will be opened. And who is there who will say nay to my goods when his heart feels my love?

And my stony heart warmed. I do love this person, important to me. I do not love their actions and their words. But I can respond with love! Dave's summary is this:

When we lift, we attract instead of repel. As walls come down, floods of cooperation and productivity fill 0ur cups. When we focus on serving others with Agape love–charity, the English translation for the Greek word Agape–we are not sacrificed on the altar of life, as we have often feared, but instead we drink from living waters and thirst no more. We give up nothing and gain everything.  (emphasis mine)

I KNEW intrinsically that responding in kind would only bring more of the same. But with love, there is an invitation for change, an invitation to see, an invitation to learn. I've known since I was 7 years old that I wanted to teach. It took most of my life to figure out in what capacity. 40 years later, I am finally getting it.

This morning as I came home from taking my children to school, I listened to Og's second scroll. I will begin each day with love in my heart. As I listened to those beautiful words, my heart was warmed even more, and there were more tears. Some days when I am not feeling particularly humble, I think I've reached a pretty great place in my life personally. Today I realized fully how much room there is for improvement!

These words touched me deeply.

yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.…I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built round their hearts and in its place will I build bridges so that my love may enter their souls.

Yes, there is certainly room for improvement. I invite you to join me. Love yourself, love "all manners of men", change the world by greeting each day with love in your heart. I will. Will you? I found one little gem of positivity in the words I received. I ignored every single negative and responded with love to that one gem. We'll see how it goes.

For the full scroll, listen here.