Day 21: Seize The Moment

TICK. TICK. TICK.

SEIZE THE MOMENT.

BE KIND.

Those words that mean so much more to me now,

as they are the words that my aunt would always say,

as they were always said to her by her grandmother.

And now I hold them in my heart,

as she is no longer here,

but with the LORD,

TICK. TICK. TICK. 

She lived many SECONDS,

that turned into

96 years.

Even though she lived a long life,

a loss is a loss

when a loved one is no longer here.

She leaves behind a legacy

through her children,

her grandchildren,

and great grandchildren.

Her children,

our cousins,

live out

KINDNESS,

as they cared for their mother,

when she wasn't able to care for herself.

What a beautiful picture to watch.

The role reversals.

From her taking care of her "babies",

and now her "babies" caring for her.

BE KIND.

TICK. TICK. TICK.

What does KIND really mean?

Gently Pleasant.

Not harsh.

Not stern.

Not severe.

KIND IS KIND.

Can you be KIND to someone who has a difference of opinion?

Oh yes.

Can you be KIND to someone who is not KIND to you?

Oh yes.

Can you be KIND to yourself?

Hmm.

Oh yes you can,

but are you?

I bet it is easier to treat someone else with KINDNESS,

before you would treat yourself with

the same KINDNESS. 

Is being KIND to yourself,

being selfish?

Oh no.

Hasn't JESUS told us to

 LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

as you LOVE YOURSELF?

Do you LOVE YOURSELF,

like JESUS LOVES YOU?

What is LOVING YOURSELF 

the JESUS WAY?

FOLLOWING the JESUS WAY,

by walking in

HIS WAYS,

which is treating yourself with

KINDNESS.

 Is it hard at times?

Oh yes.

But does JESUS ever stop treating you with KINDNESS?

Oh never.

I LOVE how JESUS LOVES me,

even though I can so easily point out the plank in another's eye,

when I have one in mine.

For HE is KIND to me and gives me an opportunity to

be KIND to myself,

 so I WILL be KIND to others,

because HE leads me in the right direction~

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor

and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 Be kind to one another,

 tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

as GOD in CHRIST

forgave you"

(Ephesians 4:31-21).

Oh to look in my own mirror first,

before I look in the mirror of another.

The freedom to look at your own

IMPERFECTIONS,

yet without condemnation

but with a conviction

that shouts,

JESUS TAKE THEM ALL!

And guess what.

JESUS TAKES THEM ALL

because

JESUS is KIND. 

PURELY KIND.

Gently Pleasant.

Not harsh.

Not stern.

Not severe.

Oh to experience the

KINDNESS OF JESUS 

when you are unable to

BE KIND to yourself,

because you

see your own imperfections like a neon light.

But that is why we all

NEED JESUS who is THE LIGHT!

For JESUS is THE KINDNESS of GOD wrapped in

the GRACE and MERCY of GOD

Will you join me and

SEIZE THE MOMENT

and RECEIVE the

GIFT OF KINDNESS,

so that we will all pass on the

GIFT OF KINDNESS to others.

"The grace of our LORD~

HIS amazing, unmerited favor and blessing.

 flowed out in superabundance, for me,

together with the faith and love which are realized in CHRIST JESUS.

This is a faithful and trustworthy statement,

deserving full acceptance and approval,

 that CHIRST JESUS came into the world to save sinners,

 among whom I am foremost.

 Yet for this reason

 I found mercy,

so that in me as the foremost of sinners,

JESUS CHRIST might demonstrate HIS perfect patience

as an example or pattern for those who

would believe in HIM for eternal life..

Now to the King of the ages, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only GOD,

 be honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen"

( I Timothy 1:14-17).

TICK. TICK. TICK.

RECEIVE the KINDNESS OF JESUS,

and

LOVE ONE ANOTHER as you LOVE YOURSELF.

So thank you

Aunt Gwen

for leaving the legacy

to

BE KIND.

Therefore,

let there be peace on earth and let it begin with you

and

"BE KIND TO YOURSELF"

(listen to the awesome new song below)