Spiritual Sisters
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Spiritual Voices Creativity Bakery
Advertising Love
Does she represent me? Does she represent you?
Whenever someone advertising love treats me rudely, they are actually doing me a favor because they are reminding me how important it is to be aware of my own actions and the message those actions may be delivering. All of us have moments when our attitudes and actions are not demonstrating love. To be constantly reminded of our own failures by others' rudeness is a gift in disguise--albeit one we do not appreciate.
Any woman reading this understands the frustrations of having a "most important man" ramrod his way ahead in the grocery checkout lane. When we are on a tight time schedule, that is a rude action which is most maddening. Next time, I hope you will refrain from loudly berating him, or snarling at the cashier, or handling the grocery cart in a threatening manner. Next time, follow up on his actions by being especially kind to the cashier as you check out and see if the kindness melting away her tired expression doesn't change your attitude as well.
Love is an action and it is a most beneficial action.
"What is the sense of our small effort? [We] cannot see that [we] must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time; we can be responsible only for the one action in the present moment. But we can beg for an increase of love in our hearts that will vitalize and transform all our individual actions, and know that God will take them and multiply them, as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes." --Dorothy Day
Jane Mullikin
The beautiful young woman puts on her new purple shirt with the words JESUS sequined across her chest. She looks good; then she gets into her car with license plates which read "In God We Trust" and a fish to symbolize her beliefs rides her bumper. Everything about her is promoting love--except the frown on her face and the determination to not speak to anyone in the neighborhood where she lives.
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