“The light that shines farthest, shines brightest at home” - C.T. Studd
I don’t know much about C.T. Studd, but I do agree with him. His statement is my motto for this New Year and helped form my set of goals for the next twelve months.
Let me start with what I’m NOT VOWING! I’m certainly not giving up chocolate or coffee and I’m not committing to exercising longer or more strenuously. I feel fine, I’m comfortable in my own skin and what’s the point? We are all going to die, anyway. Now that I sound completely wacko, let me tell you my thoughts…
This year I want to focus on who I really am and I want to give our kids the same perspective. I don’t want to set them on the viscous beauty cycle…the one that makes promises to lose weight and strives to get better looking by the end of the year. Yes, it is important to be attractive because it opens doors at times. But what good is an open door if the attractive body doesn’t have the inward character to better the world around him/her? We are each a spirit that wears a body.
Some have weak spirits with buff bodies, some have strong spirits with wrinkly bodies, and some have dead spirits with drop dead gorgeous bodies. Have you ever met a seemingly beautiful person and then once you became acquainted with the person you couldn’t see the beauty any more because of his/her harsh tone or short patience?
Likewise have you ever met a not so attractive person that became absolutely beautiful in your eyes because of his/her loving spirit? That’s the point, we will eventually lose the battle with these fading bodies, and ultimately everyone will see past our earth suits, but what we invest in our inward character will never be lost.
Some have weak spirits with buff bodies, some have strong spirits with wrinkly bodies, and some have dead spirits with drop dead gorgeous bodies. Have you ever met a seemingly beautiful person and then once you became acquainted with the person you couldn’t see the beauty any more because of his/her harsh tone or short patience?
Likewise have you ever met a not so attractive person that became absolutely beautiful in your eyes because of his/her loving spirit? That’s the point, we will eventually lose the battle with these fading bodies, and ultimately everyone will see past our earth suits, but what we invest in our inward character will never be lost.
This year I want to focus on the inner man. I want to train our kids to self evaluate, give up their rights, willingly share their belongings, think of others first. We will not purge our pantry of the chocolate, or vow to give up Starbucks, but we will set our focus on the 49 commands of Christ and we will practice our selfless acts on the ones closest to us… right here at home… All that… and we get to keep our fun food this year!
