In the midst of a global pandemic you would think more people would be kinder to others, but that seems to be the thinking of a naive person like me. My parents always taught me to look out for my siblings and the bible taught me to love my neighbors as if they were family. In my life I’ve done that to best of my abilities, so when I see people behaving so irresponsibly and selfishly in the face of a world altering event it truly upsets me. I’ll be the first to admit that when the initial reports came out about the Covid-19 virus🦠 I literally thought sarcastically “Here we go again with another outbreak”. Over the past twenty years or so there have been a few outbreaks and they all disappeared fairly quickly before really causing any damage so close to home. This outbreak has been exceptionally bad to say the least. More than a few people I know have been affected by the “Corona Virus”, people have been lost and the implications on those families have been the toughest to witness. To those who have lost loved ones due to this global pandemic my thoughts and prayers are with you.

“A person’s words can be life giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” -Proverbs 18:4-

It has been a while since my last post and I’m sorry about that I’ve been dealing with some writers block. Nothing felt right until now, I experienced something that made my insides boil with anger. At the beginning of the quarantine I went to the discount store for some things and this women was being flat out racist and ignorant toward the Asian woman running the store. This woman didn’t want to go near the counter until she sprayed disinfectant and I was just Shocked and disgusted. Living in New York City I had become numb to how people treat one another, I myself had conformed to more “natural” city-like behavior. Without even realizing it I had forgotten the common decency that I valued so much. I was talking recklessly and I didn’t care how it effected others around me, I had become a product of my environment in the most negative way. I wasn’t shining through and setting an example, I became just another callous New Yorker. It took me a while to realize I had become this way, because by then it felt so normal and easy to be so cold. One day I was at work and a co-worker of mine was observing me without me knowing, I was conversing with someone and when that exchange was over he simply said “You’re a savage”. He told me that I was mean in my approach and that I had no remorse for that person’s feelings. Ultimately my co-worker was absolutely right when I took time to think about how I was speaking not just to that person, but to almost everyone I honestly felt bad. That wasn’t who my parents ever wanted me to be, more importantly that was’t who God wanted me to be.

“Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” -Proverbs 15:4-

My wife who is My biggest fan and biggest critic confirmed that I had become a tad bit mean when speaking to people at times. I know how being like that can turn people off, because I used to have to deal with people like that all the time and it was horrible to say the least. Little by little I began to dial it back and the more I read the word of God the more I realized just how messed up it was for me to speak like that to anyone. I had no right to be so brutal when it came to another persons feelings, especially knowing how it feels to be on the receiving end of someone’s ruthless speech. Making the decision to not say whatever comes to mind has really had a positive effect on so many of my relationships. Knowing that what you’ve said to someone left them feeling uplifted or motivated is probably one of the greatest sensations a person can experience. Simply remembering to treat others with kindness even when it’s s not reciprocated can brighten your day, because you didn’t contribute to an already negative atmosphere. Be a light in a world that has so much darkness. It might not seem like you’re making a difference, but believe that you are and that it is appreciated. Kindness is a Way/ve.

“Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” -Proverbs 16:24-

Thank you for spending some time reading this blog today, there are so many things to reach for so whatever your passion go for it. God Bless and don’t forget to Chase Your Way/ve