Having healthy, functional hands is not a thing to be taken for granted. With these physical extensions of our will we can do good or evil, and we’re responsible for the choices that we make. With our hands, we can work what is honorable and useful.
The important keys are the intangible ones that unlock invisible doors: the doors we have to go through to get from one “room” in our lives to another. When we have trouble getting these doors open, it’s nice to have a friend who can provide the key.
All of us have people around us whose lives are affected by what we do. Our relationship with these people is such that they depend on us to supply certain things that are needed. We should deliver these things, adequately and dependably.
An even greater goal than mere “usefulness” is to combine usefulness with grace. We can diminish the amount of drabness in the world by (1) doing what needs to be done, and (2) doing it in such a way that delights and encourages those whom we serve.
We have it within our power, every day of the week, to show kindness to other human beings, and by doing so, to show them favor. We can live in such a way that doing a favor is more than a random act we engage in. Favor can be an integral part of us.
We must receive admonition in the proper spirit and give admonition in the right way. When we’re being warned, we need to hear the admonition with humility. And when we’re doing the warning, we need to muster all the wisdom we’ve ever learned.
How many different kinds of people can you enjoy working with? How various are the situations in which you can be comfortable? How diverse are your tastes and ideas? If your answer is, “Not very,” you’re missing out on much of the world’s amazement.
On his birthday, let’s honor George Washington wisely. Let’s acknowledge with gratitude the difficult, dangerous bridge that he led our new nation over, and then let’s see if we can’t find some chasms that our own neighbors need help crossing.
We’re surrounded by glory almost all the time. But there are certain people who’re more receptive to it than others. It may be the openness of their hearts or the eagerness of their outlook, but glory seems to be their frequent companion.
In these days of multi-channel communications, it’s rare to communicate with anyone, even face to face, and feel you have their undivided attention. We’re torn and divided. We’re simply not present for one another anymore. And much is being lost.
