With the rash of legends passing recently, I have been a little more reflective lately. It brings my own mortality home to myself. How we spend so much time in this thing we call life-Wasting it.
I have always tried to live my life as Jesus as taught me how to. In love and compassion. It isn't always easy to live in that walk especially when it seems like everyone around you aren't.
I hear and read a lot of folks professing their love for God but in the same breath exhibit behaviors that are very contrary to God's teachings.
I have seen people kill in the name of God, lie in the name of God, lie on God and justify their nonsense in the name of God.
I remember a few years ago, I had this dream. In the dream God was showing how people treat him like HE is the The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus.
A lie we have been taught from generation to generation.
Then there are those who think God is David Copperfield or David Blaine. One way of His magic wand and our nonsense is waived away.
We want to believe that we can do our mess and blink-whoomp-all gone and no repercussions. We want our spiritual leaders to walk on air and live perfect lives even though inside we know our own imperfections are ever before us.
We put our faith in the fallible. We put expectations on people who like ourselves are imperfect and put them on pedestals that are so high that when they fall-we are sorely disappointed.
Then we blame God. It's HIS fault because He didn't wave His magic wand for us.
We blame God when good people die. We blame God when He didn't "change" a bad person who caused us pain.
We question the validity of God when a child dies or a person is starving or homeless.
What we don't do is take ownership of our OWN actions. How many of you have taken the time to volunteer at a homeless shelter or a youth shelter? How about visiting a hospital and sit with a cancer patient? In secret without the bells and whistles and accolades.
We put so much on God when He gave US the tools to use with one another.
Instead of making the ones we love our "Substitute Gods" we should truly learn to work together through our flaws and above our egos. We should stop coveting things that we can't take with us or how people perceive us.
If you learn to appreciate this thing God gave us called LIFE and realize the gift that it really is-we will enjoy living it more!
