02/19/2020
Today I had the honor of attending a service for a very special person. She was my mother-in-law for 28 beautiful years. She and my father-in-law felt like second parents to me. I lost my Mom when I was twenty and still living at home with my Dad when I was 25. I still miss my parents even though they are with me every day. Very early on I expressed my love by asking my in-laws if it was okay that I call them Mom & Dad. My love was received in a very special way. They both welcomed the idea and I became a closer part of their family. Over the 28 years, we shared much love and many laughs. They still hold a very special place in my heart.
I listened to the loving words shared by the family and the priest today and their messages echoed the feelings of love I felt for her and Dad. The priest shared stories of love from God and Jesus and how important it is that we love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Have you given any thought to what it really means to love your neighbour as yourself?
We begin our life as a babe and are loved and cherished by our parents, grandparents and extended family. We learn each day and feel their deep love for us. Babies are one of the closest things we have to Heaven in our earthly world. They are pure LOVE. Throughout our life, our parents share their ideas of love, giving, sharing, and caring. Even though we were raised with the same love and guidance we are still individuals. We are not exactly the same as our siblings. We have our own personalities and come to make our own choices. Our ideas and choices just feel right to us. Has there been a time in your life where you have wondered about the choices of others?
Have you ever thought about the freedom that we each have in making the choices that feel right for us? These choices may include the type of house you live in, your hairstyle, the clothes you wear or on which day you like to do your laundry. These may seem like trivial things but the many choices of your life make you the person that you are. Our choices also extend to the connection we make with other people. Are we connecting through love, through judgement or a mixture of the two? In the same way that you are an individual and have ideas of how you wish to live your life, so does the next person. Their choices just feel right to them.
Can we think about choices for a moment? Whose choices are right? Shall your neighbour suggest how you should live your life? I assume that your answer is no. In this same way, shall you suggest how your neighbour shall live their life? The answer is also no. In the same way that you love your freedom of choice, so does your neighbour. Why does it matter what hairstyle they have chosen? Why does it matter what clothes they wear? Or whether their beard is too long to you or that they wear cowboy boots? Try to see the love that is in their hearts.
Love is about understanding, patience, kindness, compassion, empathy, gentleness. There are many other words to convey the meaning of love but I think these help connect us to the feeling of love. It is also loving to consider the other persons point of view? We haven’t walked in their shoes. Yes, some people do make choices that seem unloving to us. We don’t know what that person has experienced in their life that makes them make the choices that they do. Some were not raised in a loving home. Some felt unloved and unwanted. Some people are really struggling in the world. In their struggle, they may not make the best choices for themselves. I am sure many of you have had the experience of learning about someone else’s life in more detail and when you did your heart softened and you came to a different understanding. And possibly you felt bad about your previous feelings. Why are we so quick to judge? Why don’t we pause and consider that this person must have lived a life with less love than we did? Otherwise, their choices would be more loving.
As you pass the woman that stands on the corner waiting for a car to stop in front of her do you feel judgement about her lifestyle? Do you stop and realize that her choices are as they are because of the life that she lived? Some people might say that she needs to make different choices. Yes, different choices will bring about different results but sometimes this person doesn’t know how to go about changing their life.
Some of you may have read stories about what it is like to return to Heaven. I have read that we are greeted by Jesus and that we feel his deep love for us. That he wraps us in his arms and that we are so very comforted by his love. Think of this love. This love is compassionate, forgiving, understanding. His message to us was to live this way in our earthly life. He shared many stories to help teach us about love and judgement. Jesus: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?” My understanding of this message is about us only seeing other people’s faults. None of us are perfect. When you make a mistake do you not wish to be forgiven? In this same way, it’s important for each of us to forgive easily. Forgive as easily as God forgives us.
Is there someone that you are at odds with? If so, please consider them through your heart, let it soften and extend the same kindness to them that you would appreciate receiving. Love and help one another. Do your choices rely completely on another person’s opinion? Please consider how your OWN heart feels about this choice. Remember, we each stand in Heaven and review our choices. We can each choose to live a heavenly life now.
Much love to you.
Angelica
