I have been away almost 6 months. Actually I have been here...I just haven't been HERE.
Actually that is not true I have started countless ponderances (that's MY word - I don't care if it is right or wrong..) and would find myself dangling at the end....like I wanted a neat tidy little package and couldn't find it so I left it to - well - sit in the void that is my draft folder. Bless them all. Maybe one day I will go back and see if there is a rational - or not so rational - conclusion I have come to about whatever it was I was thinking that day...
But today, I read an article about Mike Rowe going into a liquor store. Supposedly. Who knows if it's true or not? But there was a picture on the wall of a man that had stolen from the owner. Mike Rowe approved and told him so and got into a conversation with a couple of other patrons, one being a lawyer. The lawyer admitted that he would sue if he thought he could get money from it. Even though the guy was guilty of stealing from the man - it was on tape for Pete's sake. He also said if Mike Rowe posted the pictures he would go after him because famous people were fun to sue...they normally would settle. Really. What a slime ball. [ Since I read the article from another source I found Mike Rowe posted it to his Facebook page HERE You can read about it yourself. :) ]
My husband and I were talking last night. He said in a law class he took, that a family got sued because of something that happened when they were on vacation. Someone climbed over their fence that said, "NO TRESPASSING", used their pool without permission and drowned. And the people suing won. What the what? How did this get into court?
I think our legal system is broken. Lawyers who are after money and not justice, judges who are after the same. People who are on the jury who think they might one day be able to do the same thing and get money. I have the same problem with the media. And the government. The bottom line is money; Money to continue our selfish pursuits.
There is no true north for people anymore, except for themselves. If it serves them then it doesn't matter about anyone else. And so the world will fall victim to it's own narcissistic whims. I like a straight shooter. I would much rather you give me the ugly on yourself. I will probably like you more. The more you set yourself up as "wonderful" the less I believe you. Let your actions speak for themselves. This is from someone who has learned the hard way that selfishness is a pit of despair.
I know we all have good and bad in us. But "REAL" is what I want to see. (As an aside, I read this: "The world has enough women who live a masked insecurity. It needs more women who live a brave vulnerability." from HERE the other day - LOVE IT) Unfortunately, most people are finding their worth in Facebook "likes" (I am not unaffected by these) and approval of others. I am a people pleaser...probably why I hate it so much. It feels like I am bound by it at times. So how to get to the bottom of it? Ask myself what are my intentions. If there is love for others in there somewhere (because honestly - my intentions will probably never be pure until I am in Heaven with Jesus) then I shall proceed. If there is resentment because I feel I have to, if there is avarice because I feel like it will get me somewhere - then I shall TRY to avoid doing it. Sometimes we have to do things even with rotten motives - but if I can at least KNOW that my actions are coming from a wrong motive - maybe I can salvage it somehow by working hard to be kind and not be an @hole when things don't turn out the way I want. One can hope anyway.
I can't even make any promises there. God willing through prayer and reading The Bible - I will see purer motives eventually. Can I expect this of others? Not really. And I will do my best not to judge. But if I can do it and maybe get others to seriously question their motives too, then maybe one by one we will all get to the point where we live to serve others before ourselves...just as Jesus gave us by example. Then we will see a government that works as it should, a justice system that serves justice rightly and a world that is a little bit more like it was meant to be when it was perfect.
Selfishness is the basis of almost every heinous act. I will have to meditate on this more...but I wholeheartedly believe that looking to others before yourself will solve so many problems. "Looking out for number one" is stomach turning. Trust God to look out for you...
Matthew 22:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(these things meaning the necessities of life (see 25 - 32)
