The question was, “How do we love the swallow?” How do I love the life-sucker, the “neighbor” who seems to want to take, take, take – without offering anything in return? The answer came to me this week:
Just
Open
Yourself
The acronym spells JOY, the WAY we choose to love one another. Be open – with joy – with prayer and help from above – to loving others. My friend, Marcia, commented on my blog, “… love unconditionally, as God loves you!”
But, a friend of mine wrote on her FaceBook page the following confession/question: “I have as acquaintance who is constantly calling me asking if he can ‘crash on my couch’. Here’s the problem: I watch him make one bad decision after the next. He hangs around with complete losers and users… if there are 99 good choices and only 1 bad one, he will make the bad choice. He is sleeping under a bridge. He is 49, perfectly healthy, can work, is smart as a whip… but just lives like a Hobo. 20 years ago, I would have said ‘Sure, come crash at my place.’ Then I would regret it. Now I just say, “Sorry hon…no can do” … and kind of feel guilty. Am I wrong for not ‘helping’ him? I have ‘ helped ‘ so many people before… some worked out, most didn’t. I can not help anyone get their life in check… I can only control my own life. Am i being a heartless bitch or a smart person?”
Is the answer to her question a blanket “Just Open Yourself”? I think not! My friend, Marcia, elaborated a little in he response.
Comments on: "JOY!" (9)
You wrote the WAY we should love one another – I have some reservation about that word should but – I am intrigued – do you have another acronym for WAY – i love this one for JOY! Karen
Thank you for dropping by, reading my blog, and passing it along, Karen. Thank you most especially for your thoughtful comment, causing me to rethink that word “should.” Do I have another word for it? Hmmm… let me think on that!
I often swop “could” in for should – or maybe “can choose to”. Much softer and kinder.
I like that! I “can choose to” (instead of I “should”) change that sentence to indicate the affirmative stance. Bless you! Tell me more about your postcards ;o)
I am expecting to blog them next week with some pictures so patience please!!
Reblogged this on affirmagise.
Thank you for your affirmation, “Affirmagise.” I am back into my blogging after a brief respite while my grandchildren were with me. Looking forward to catching up on what you’ve been up to! ;o)
I have learned that there is a fine line between helping a friend and enabling him or her to continue down a destructive path. Sometimes the best help I can give to a friend is to not enable destructive behavior. In such situations I look for other ways that may truly be helpful to them.
For example, I’m much more inclined to give food and/or a warm blanket to a hungry and cold drug addict or alcoholic than money.
Russ
I think the idea of a warm blanket, food, or a gift certificate to a place like McDonalds is a great way to lend a helping hand without enabling destructive behavior. Bless you, Russ!