I am remembering an old lyric: I am just a little one, but I want to do my part. To the extent, oh Lord, that I can hold Your fullness, Lord Jesus, come and fill my heart.
Every time you pray the intent of that prayer, your capacity expands. You set the tone of your day, you set the tone of your life, here.
Now it’s time for another step of growth. You still harbor secret, buried feelings of anger toward the angry. This just gives them and their anger power over that part of your mind and heart. I don’t want you to agitate and fight against. I don’t want you to ignore and pretend it doesn’t exist or doesn’t hurt, or doesn’t do harm, either. I want you to do a third thing. Some call it forgiveness.
I want you to surround, in your mind and heart, every bit of news you hear, whether national or global or personal, with an effervescence of goodness, of love and peace and joy and mercy and healing and light. Bring Color to the grey. Where there is just harsh, shrill, loud noise, bring melody and harmony. Surround in your mind’s eye every bit of it with floating, dancing bubbles of Better. Better choices. A Better outcome. Someone says something nasty about someone else? Surround them both. See an ad for an abused animals fund? Surround the whole thing. Gang violence? Surround the neighborhood. Corruption in business or politics? Surround it.
This new response will take practice. You will sometimes feel discouraged. The task will seem too great, the needs to be surrounded too many and overwhelming. Come back to small at those times. Let intention grow. I promise you, this will become a signature part of your life, just as gratitude has. Your gratitude lists began as small daily observances and thanksgivings. Let this be that way, too.
Oh, Lord, You’ve spoken to me this way before. I need to ask Your forgiveness—I haven’t been doing this. I forgot.
This is why I never tire of telling you the same things, as many times as you need to hear them again, hear them fresh. Don’t fret over minutes or days past. Just begin again.
Just like that?
It only takes one second, one decision, one yes, to change everything.
Ok, Lord, thank You. And, yes.