July 11

I am crazy tired tonight and really should be going to bed... love for my sleep has never seemed to take precedence over my love of a challenge LOL!!

I spent a few precious hours with my sister last night talking about this exciting topic of living love and reviewing some pretty cool inspirational figures on YouTube... who knew what a wealth of inspiration is on there?!?!? 

The Rob Bell clip that I posted the other day was one that we checked out, and I actually found that I got more out of it when I could just listen to him and not watch the visuals... anyway, what a powerful concept that every life and every moment is meaningful.  Can you imagine if each of us just spent even 10% more of our time living meaningful love in our lives??? Can you imagine what a different place the world will be.  To be honest, I am working on about 1% more love each day to start..

Anyway, my mind just keeps wandering back to the idea of simple things... simple things that we can do to show love to others.

Sadly, I grew up experiencing a religious environment where many people focussed their energy and attention on gaining rewards and favour with God in the afterlife in heaven... The belief, for some, seemed to be that we are really all just unworthy sinners putting in time here on earth until we can one day earn the favour of God, and be rewarded for our faithfulness (by which I really think I just mean going to church every week).... with life of paradise with Him in Heaven when we die.

Some 20 years later, I have now come to a very different belief about heaven and what happens when we die.... and at the end of the day, I no longer believe that living is all about what happens when we die.  I think that if we live love every day, here in the heaven that is God's Kingdom on earth, then our afterlife with him just takes care of itself. 

I have come to such a strong conviction that this is heaven right here, right now, in this moment, sitting right here on my couch typing these words with my family sleeping upstairs and my neighbours in their beds in their homes around me...THIS IS HEAVEN... right here. Right now. All around me.

I believe that I can create heaven all around me by choosing to live love today.  Or I can choose to create hell by choosing a life that is absent of love.  I am going to say that one more time, because I think a lot of people might have expected me to say that hell is created when we choose the opposite of love, and some people might think that is hate.  I will have to reflect more on what I think the opposite of love is, but right now - I see it as a simple absence - a void - a vacancy.  It could also be hate, or malice or cruelty... but far too often, I see hell created here on earth by sheer apathy, lack of concern, ignorance or absence of love.  I see starving people and neglected children, and sick people without hope... and most of the people around them turning a blind eye. Where those people sit alone, without love, there is hell. Of course I believe that God loves those people, and he will bring them comfort where they will seek it, but I also believe that he intended the rest of us to be his hands and feet and to bring his love to the neighbours we share our lives with.

My husband and I have been fortunate to share a contented marriage.  Of course we've had our ups and downs, but at the end, I believe that our strength has come from the conviction that we will always be OK as long as we are taking care of one another.  As long as we continue to live love towards one another.  And sometimes, that is a deliberate choice....

Do I live love? Who do I take care of? Who is taking care of me? Do we mostly take care of ourselves and our own little family? Who is in our family's circle of love and care?

These are questions I find myself asking... and in the busyness of my life, I fear that my circle of care has shrunk over time.  I would like to expand it.  To whom much is given, much is expected... and that only seems right.