Sabbath Messages | Sabbath Message: Sept. 18, 2004
Good Sabbath
September 18, 2004
"They who keep the Sabbath, calling it a delight, rejoice in Your sovereignty")
The wonderful thing about celebrating the anniversary of the creation of
the world, is that your mind wanders through past memories; God and you review
who you are and the meaning of your life; God does it for the year and you
do it for your lifetime. As your voice is raised to God on high, you know
that He loves music, for it flatters and pleases His soul and the meaning
of His life. Yes, there is always a human element to all-powerful God, for
there is our connection with Him; He is all-powerful, but He is a living
power Who reflects on His relationship with us, His creations. I like that
for it gives me the impression that He is a listening, as well as an observing
BEING, that forgiving our sins may be the order of holy-days, but it is the
minor part of His feelings. He knows that the way we behave to each other
determines whether there is peace or evil, for human kindness was embedded
in us-right from our creation.
At this time I also remember one of Fran's and my closest living friends,
Shirley, a marvelous human who has tasted few fruits of life except overflowing
with appreciation for God and all His creations; this makes her exceptional.
She has known pain, has a fidelity to nurturing the wellness of her Mom and
her Aunt, and her family. Nothing I could write could do her justice. Her
occasional letters to me are expositions of living all that goes along with
life. She mentally wanders Walden's Pond and all that is gorgeously expressed
about nature and life.
You should remember that I have an almost unique relationship with women;
I use the word unique because few men admit how powerful is the woman's soul
and effort to make the man happy. It is almost a commandment that "thou
shall love your man with all thy heart and soul". The female has a loyalty
to those she loves that transcends sense, for even the undeserving gather
that love and use it or exploit it as they wish. It takes years for the female
to comprehend when her effort is failure, for some men cannot allow themselves
reciprocal fidelity, as though it weakens their masculinity. They are fools,
for they fail themselves as well as the mate and life becomes their tombstone;
God has little to do with it.
Shirley explains that living in West Hollywood is a blessing, as they supply
transportation, so that the oldsters are not removed from society, like ancients
who would leave the infirmed baby or elder to perish on some lonely, cold
hillside. They have dial-a-ride service so she can get to her doctor. It's
a tragedy that politicians feel that any solution to our terrible medical
delivery system is "socialistic", as the golden rule is eliminated
from their party's platform; no matter their reasoning, it is evil and the
devil chuckles at humankind's foolishness and lack of compassion. Shirley
decided a long time ago that she would devote herself to making certain that
oldsters could avoid the "deathtraps" of loneliness and abandonment.
You see, each of us has great power to assist others, whether related or
not; it's just what supplies our motivation. Shirley watched and assisted
her Mom and Aunt in their long illnesses, so she gathered compassion as her
hobby, lifestyle and ethic.
God, please fill her life with love and spirit
For Shirley, as You know,
Deserves Your countenance shining fully upon her
and hers.
Amen
"Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to humankind.
"(Sam Walter Foss)
"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by doubling our joy
and dividing our grief." (Addison)
The problem with the globe is that we mistake passion for compassion. We
can feel hate as strongly
as love; one is our strength and the other our foolishness. My feeling is
that life is too brief an interlude between life and final departure, so
we have no time for passionate hatred, especially when it comes in the guise
of religion. Hatred is the opposite of forgiveness; one ignites war, the
other breeds kindness and compassion; the choice is always ours--not God's!
Make this Sabbath fill with compassion for those who fight for us, not for
those who fight with us.
sandy
