A Pocketful of Hope

–posted by cassiemeadows  (from `Help Others. Org.’)

Here’s a quick reminder to all of you when you get stuck in a moment — that, somewhere out there, someone always comes along with a pocket full of hope.

Today I spent all my coins and dollar bills on little deeds. I had skipped breakfast because the clock was ticking away too quickly.  On top of the mad rush, I forgot my lunch. I was going to buy my lunch along the way, but a person in need asked me if I could spare them some cash, so I decided that moment, to put them first.

So, then later, that evening, I was heading home anxiously awaiting dinner, when I got a call from my Mom saying that she was stuck working the late night shift and wouldn’t be able to make it to the market to pick up groceries. Even though there was no food in the house, I took a step back for a second, and I told my Mom not to worry as I would surely find myself something on which to munch.  

While I was still processing this sudden set of changes in my food options for the day, I passed a young man with a broad smile handing out crunchy samples of crackers at a supermarket stand. He gave me a packet and then did a double take saying,  ”How about  you take some more for school tomorrow?” In response to that, I opened up my heart by returning a warm smile to him and also opened up my plastic carry on bag as he gladly filled it with 20 little crunchy packets. I was thrilled.

Whether you call it luck, fate, serendipity or the stroke of the universe,  I just wanted to say that somewhere out there somebody came along carrying a glimpse of hope in his heart and shared a piece of it with me! Somebody out there will one day do the same for you!

(Sign hanging in Einstein’s office at Princeton)

Let us take a minute and ponder on the autumn leaves in the above picture and the one below. Look at the carpet of beautiful red golden maple leaves that have been blown down by the fierce wind and rain. Are these fallen leaves less valuable than those leaves still attached and hanging on the branches? Do those individual leaves feel that they are superior and better off than those fallen leaves on the ground?

Similarly, are the upright and self-righteous people more valuable than their fallen brothers and sisters who have stumbled and failed in life?

In my conversation with a Latin unemployed and divorced friend, we suddenly hit on an interesting insight- `that God somehow loves the sinners more than the saints’ because Jesus Christ came into the world for the sake of the sinners and not for the saints…

He came to heal the sick who really need him and somehow only sinners often feel that they desperately need the healing touch of Jesus. The Jewish priests and the scribes, in their own self-righteousness, have no need of Jesus as their Messiah.’

These beautiful autumn leaves have provided some valuable insights in the art of living and what it means to be a human being. Any human being needs to grow and become more loving and caring for one another. Sooner or later, like the autumn leaves, we will all end up as humus for the enrichment of the mother earth. Being compassionate and caring is the essence of being human because we are all actually different parts belonging to the whole. Albert Einstein reinforced this important message with his words of wisdom for mankind,

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

–quoted in H. Eves Mathematical Circles Adieu (Boston 1977).

 Posted by David AYKK

Since my reading of the book, `Nine Faces of God’ by Fr. Peter Hannan, S.J.,

I have transformed my perception of the way I show love to my neighbor.

The question that is often asked is `Who is my neighbor?’

To me, I define `my neighbor’ as someone whose life intersects with mine at a moment in time when his / her need attracts my attention and arouses my empathy.

I have promised myself to live a life of love at the simplest level – showing and sharing love on a one-to-one basis. In this way, simple acts of love can make a small difference in someone’s live.

I recall an unforgettable encounter at Union Station in Chicago a few weeks ago.

My wife and I were on our way to visit the various attractions in this great city and we were already late, having wasted an hour because we had just missed the Metra train by only two minutes. Arriving at Union Station for the first time, we had to ask for information as to how to move around by public buses. We approached an old lady who was in her seventies with some dyed purple hair. She was  very helpful and was very keen to help us. In our short conversation, she shared with us about the purpose of her visit. She revealed to us that her daughter had just passed away recently and that she was waiting for her son-in-law to pick her up to celebrate her granddaughter’s birthday.

As soon as I heard about the sad story of her recent bereavement, I suggested to my wife that we should spend some time with her in her moment of emotional. Then I went to buy her a cup of hot coffee and we spent about forty minutes chatting with her and simply lent a listening ear. We learned that her name was Sylvia and she was from Philadelphia. Her cardiologist husband had passed away and she was alone staying in her big house.

She gave us her address and invited us to visit her. Before we parted, she planted two kisses on our faces –one for my wife and one for me. This was the first time that I received a kiss  by a stranger! She was touched by a simple act of love shown by us.

May the good Lord bless her with the strength, courage and grace to carry her heavy cross.

Posted by David AYKK

`God is  all bounty while we are all need.’    St. Augustine

This focusing of our attention on `being loved’, rather than on being loving will be revolutionary for most people. Remember that the revolution will take place in your life when you realize that it is not so much your love for God that matters as the fact that God loves you.

Our ability to accept fully the love of God which sustains us, is very tied up with our own image of ourselves. We are easily dominated by the voice of our own insignificance. This is the tragic illusion that results when a small, dark fraction of our lives becomes the whole picture we see of ourselves. Seeing things in this way makes it very difficult for us to accept a vision of God as love and ourselves as lovable in His eyes. As a result, our acceptance of the essential invitation of Christ, to believe the Good News of God’s love and providence, is very limited.”

Like this windmill, no matter how your life cycle turns, the sun is always shining upon you.

The importance of loving yourself is strongly reinforced by the bestselling author, Melody Beattie.

• “No matter what, love yourself. Love yourself, even if it feels like the world around you is irked with you, even if it feels like those you’ve counted on most have gone away, even if you wonder if God has abandoned you.
• When it feels like the journey has stopped, the magic is gone, and you’ve been left sitting on the curb, love yourself. When you’re confused and angry about how things are going or how they’ve gone, love yourself. No matter what happens  or where you are, love yourself. No matter if you aren’t certain where you’re going or if there’s any place left to go, love yourself.
• This situation will change, this time will pass, and the magic will return. So will joy and faith. You will feel connected again- to yourself, God, the universe, and life. But the first thing to do is love yourself. And all the good you want will follow.”                                       

        (Melody Beattie, `Journey To The Heart’ )          

Nothing heals better – emotionally – biochemically – physically and mentally than love – or experiencing the frequency of romantic love – as all is frequency. It is like a drug that heals, but one must watch out for the side effects, such as obsession. If you have never felt this love, your soul may seek to heal the issues which will allow you to attract this experience.

Some people are happier and healthier giving love – while others need to be loved to remain healthy. Love should be in balance as that is the key word in all healing.

Love affects most species as they seek to create peace and balance in their experience here. The ultimate healing from love comes from union/reunion of self.

Love….we search, hunger, pray for this too-often elusive emotion. When we experience it, we revel in the bliss love elicits and bask in the warmth that blankets us with caring, gratitude, comfort, and a sense of all-around well being. Little have we known that this wonderful feeling we call love does, indeed, create well-being. In fact, feeling love sets forth a complex series of events within our bodies that generally bring about better health.

“When you feel loved, nurtured, cared for, supported, and intimate, you are much more likely to be happier and healthier. You have a much lower risk of getting sick and, if you do, a much greater chance of surviving,” Dean Ornish, M.D. concludes in his book,   Love and Survival, the Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy.

-Adapted from Crystalinks