A PARENT'S CHALLENGE

Thank you, sisters and brothers, for choosing to share your lives with each other and your daughters and sons.




If you had a chance to share in a public forum your hopes and dreams for your child or your loved one, what would you say? One parent, at a recent African American high school banquet, encouraged his son to do God's will, be an active member in a community, which is committed to serving others. (That is my take on the video that inspired this blog, you may hear other things and I sincerely invite you to share what you heard).




DOING GOD'S WILL
My grandmother and mother did their best to help me find God by sending me to God-oriented schools and bringing me to church with them every Sunday. I thank them.
My teachers, mentors, and counselors were individuals who proudly professed their belief in God to me in public and private places. I think that God can be found by each person who chooses:
1. to take time to listen to others' feelings and learn how to listen to her/his own feelings. I think that God can be found in the stillness of our own hearts, through meditation, careful attention to our dreams, and attention to the words and actions of others who, in their actions, show that they are honest, caring, and forgiving people. What do you think?



BEING AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN A COMMUNITY
I have found that each person is unique and brings her/his own joys, sorrows, concerns, and inspirations to the group in which she/he chooses to participate.
I am learning that I should not expect nor desire the community that I decide to be part of to do what I think it should do, but rather that we, as a community, decide on what particular work we want to do, and we support each other in sharing who we are in, first, being ourselves with one another, and, second, helping our work to take a shape that is organic (comes out of the strengths and weaknesses of the materials available) and focused on the well being of its members and the world around it. What do you think?













SERVING OTHERS

The others... who are they, our sisters and brothers and all living beings in our world. I do not expect any other person to agree with my thinking and feeling. I do hope that each person I meet, if we choose to meet and converse rather than to just share a polite hi and hello and move on (which is just fine, if that is all we choose to do with one another) to share our hopes, our concerns, and our gifts honestly and clearly.
I know that centuries of hurt and many specific wrongs separate us. I know that many of us will never trust each other. I also know that I cannot afford to sit on some high perch and watch and judge and dismiss/invite others others into my life. I feel grateful when any other person takes my hand and says, "let us try to help each other."
I sincerely hope that I shall have the courage and energy to support each person who sincerely seeks to be part of my life and invites me to be part of my life.
What do you think?




This reflection was inspired by what one wonderful parent shared about his son and his own desire for his children. Do you see or hear anything else on this video or did you interpret this parent's words in a different way than I. Please share...


PEACE AND LOVE