Week 110

Positive post Sunday, March 24, 2019…. Week 110. 
Well, we are 3 Sundays into Lent and I’m sure missing ice cream, but I’m sure not as much as Michele!!  A small price to pay to recognize the sacrifice Jesus made to open the gates of Heaven to all of us.  

At the beginning of Lent our church handed out a daily guide of reflections, actions and prayers to read each day during Lent.  It’s titled, Let God Work Wonders by Joseph F, Sica.   It’s a very easy read (one page per day) with practical and thoughtful topics on relevant and current experiences many of us face throughout our lives.  Here’s a few titles to peak your interest, The three Rs of change, Disarming the one-uppers, Forgiveness: the sweetest revenge, Whoever said life is fair? and Unhappy with life?  Change it!  

One of my favorites readings is, The boomerang effect.  It’s about a woman who accidentally dropped her wedding ring into a homeless man’s donation cup.  When she realized she lost it she searched for and found the homeless man who, without hesitation, handed her the ring.  Feeling blessed and thankful, the lady shared her story on social media and raised over $190,000 for the homeless man.  As a result of a simple good deed (returning the ring) and an act of kindness from the woman, the homeless man was able to use the money to get his life back on track, buying a home and car and reconnecting with relatives who thought he was dead.  

This story reminded the author (and me) of a few sayings, “what goes around comes around” and “you reap what you sow”.  This short story is one of many examples of how kind words or actions can come back to us.  The author shares a quote from Florence Skinner, “The game of life is like the game of boomerang; deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.”  Although not covered in this reading, I find it important to note that the boomerang effect also applies, and often more harshly, to negative words and actions.  We all need to be mindful of the shadows we cast.

I realize that not everyone recognizes Lent or shares my faith, but I still encourage you all to read these short yet powerful examples of challenges we face in everyday life and most importantly to reflect on how we might handle them in a more Christ-like way.