Time to Make a Change

Photo credit: Free-images.com

“Life is short, and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those around us. So be swift to love and make haste to be kind…” – From a funeral at Church of Our Savior Episcopal in Akron, Ohio

Mourners filled the pews for Beth’s funeral on Monday afternoon, plus the 30 of us who sang in the choir for her service. It was a blessing to be part of it: her 57 short years on earth had been filled with music, laughter, and love.

If there’s anything that gives us a wake-up call about how we’re spending our time, it’s a funeral. We’re reminded of how quickly the years pass, and it encourages us to examine what we’re doing with the time we have here on earth. 

Holy Week begins on Sunday. It might be a good idea to use these last days before Easter to examine how we’re spending our time, and make changes where necessary. 

We can ask ourselves: 

How do I share God’s love with those around me on a daily basis? 

How, and how often, do I let the people who are important to me know that I love them?

Have I given our Lord time and opportunities through prayer to reach into my heart and make me more patient, compassionate, and generous? 

What concrete steps have I taken during this Lenten season to improve my relationship with God and with the people I care about? What reminders can I give myself to continue these practices after Easter?

In addition to my responsibilities for myself and my family, when was the last time I gave of myself to benefit someone who can’t return the favor or pay me back?

If one of these questions struck a chord with you, remember: it’s never too late to make a change.

Maybe our Lord is asking us to change how we approach the people around us. If we’re habitually impatient, apathetic, or stingy toward others, then now’s the time to ask our Lord to soften our heart and mold it to be more like His. 

Maybe we would benefit from treating ourselves with more kindness. If we think of ourselves as being loving, forgiving, and kind, we’ll eventually convince ourselves of it and live up to our own expectations. And when we’re more loving toward ourselves, we’ll be more compassionate toward others. 

Change takes time. If we don’t use our time to make those changes, and if we always do what we’ve always done, then nothing will change – neither in our hearts, in our relationships, or in our community. Our relationship with God and with others will stagnate.

There’s still time. Take steps toward bringing God’s Kingdom of Love to the people around you. Not just because Easter is coming, but because you still have life to live.

“...make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” – Ezekiel 18:31

“Lord, help me change my heart and make it more like Yours.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Dare to Look Deeper

 

“Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” –Ezekiel 18:31

I haven’t had much luck with house plants in the past but right now, to my surprise and delight, I have half a dozen plants that seem to be thriving. One of them is commonly called a ‘prayer plant’ because its leaves reach up toward the heavens when the sun goes down, and then set back down again at sunrise. It’s quite large, bushy, and beautiful.

Last week while I was watering it, I looked deep into the center of the plant, where all the stems come up together out of the soil. I was surprised to see many dead leaves in there! I realized I had paid attention to the outer leaves but failed to routinely inspect and water the center and interior of the plant. So, I cut away those dead leaves and stems, and this time watered the whole plant.

That got me thinking about my spiritual life. I invite you to ask yourself the same kinds of questions that I asked myself: Do I tend to pay attention only to the ‘outer part’ of my spiritual life, even during Lent – for example, how and when I pray, fast, and give alms – or do I also dare to look deep down inside of me to examine if my attitudes, actions, and motives are rooted in love? When I pray, do I let our Lord transform my heart and make me more like Him in what I think, say, and do? Have I been ‘fertilizing’ the faith He gave me at my baptism by reading and meditating on His words, seeking Him and serving Him in the people around me, and caring for the Earth He created? Have I been receptive, like good soil, to what He wants to do through me? Have I been ‘watering’ my relationships with the people closest to me? Is there a destructive habit or other ‘dead branch’ in my life that needs to be pruned away? 

Let’s dare to look deep into our hearts and let our Lord transform us into His likeness, as He created us to be.

“Lord, penetrate the depths of my heart. Make me more like You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...