February

"It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." --Moliere

Dear friends:
February is the month for love proclamations. Little children pass out valentines to their classmates. Chocolates and roses are showered on loved ones. We could all use more love in our lives and in our world.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. It is a struggle to love those who have hurt us. One of the ways we can love those who are challenging to us is to pray for them—every day, every night. If we pray for those who are our enemies, pray for those who somehow manage to continually be our nemesis, pray for the person who no matter what you do manages to criticize and complain, pray for the mean e-mail sender, pray for the person who perpetually is looking for the crack in our armor; pray, pray, pray. It may or may not change that person but it will change our hearts.

It is easy to love those who love us—that's not really picking up the gauntlet of Christ's mandate. Can we do as Christ has bid us? Love those who are lonely and who have no one. Love those who are sick and need our care. Love the neglected. Love the person who stumbles socially. Can we love the "unpopular" kid or adult?

How can we show our love? One of our CWF groups used to have secret pals. Throughout the year the pal did little acts of kindness to give cheer. What if we made friends with the world and sought every day to find ways to extend kindness and cheer to others.

"Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received–only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage" --Francis of Assissi

I love you and thank God for you every day.

Shalom,

Cindy