A bird flies by, do you care? You see a flower in bloom, do you care? A stranger smiles and says hello, do you look upon their face with gladness? Chances are you don't. WHy is that? Because you are drowned in your own thoughts.

WHy do we keep feeling lonely, even though we make no effort to connect with others? How can we feel better about ourselves when there is another person that walks by hoping to get a smile? How can being self-absorbed make us feel any better?

We cannot feel God's love while being self-absorbed. We can however see God in the faces of others if only we can find the time to look at another persons face. Unless you try to seek the love that God can give through looking and thinking on others hope or lack thereof, we can not truly feel the happiness that God can give to a heart that is full of His love through the helping of others.

You see, selfishness breeds loneliness. A self-centered relationship brings the jungle of doldrums on us and covers our heart with a veil that can only be lifted by our willingness to make a contribution to society that will breed God's love and his loving ways.

We can get up in the morning. We can go through the rush hour parking lot. We can work the eight hours. We can go home after wards through another bumper-to-bumper madness. Then we can go home and be self-absorbed. That kind of day may bring more money into our pockets, but what about happiness?

Happiness does not come by entrenching ourselves in a hollowed mind that does the same thing every day. W cannot expect a different result if we are constantly doing the same things every day. We cannot accomplish what God has put us on this planet to do. We can only repeat the same crap, but a different day.

Ezekiel 27:33 When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. RSV

But we can break free of the binds that are self-imposed. We can free ourselves from our own self-centered attitudes to benefit the world with the love that we can share with others. The love that God can give to us, if we only learn to care.

I don't mean care about money or jewels or how many yachts we can water ski behind. But the kind of care that is shared. Look at it this way, we could have all been placed on our own planet, but what would be the good in that. With no one to share our experiences we would just be going about life, doing what we think is our best, and feeling lonely and bereft of hope.

Romans 15:1-3 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; 2 let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him. 3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me." RSV

But yet God put us on a planet where there are more and more people on it every day. So that means the more people we help by praying and doing, the more happiness there is to be had. God can bless you and keep you and His light can shine upon you. But you need to take the time to accept what God has given you and will give you if only you seek His love on a daily basis.

Because without it, we are like dust in the winds of time.We are like the flea that lands on a pine needle of a large tree that is in the middle of the forest that's only hope for recognition is that sunlight that happens to fall across the pine needle when it can shine through all the other thousands of pine needles that are above it.

Sounds pretty insignificant doesn't it. But you do not need to be insignificant, because you can grow way beyond that by talking to God through prayer and asking Him for his guidance and His love.

So don't let another day go by without the love that God gives so freely to all the ask for it. Instead smile at a passing stranger so that they will feel the hope that is there for the taking, especially with God's love in your heart and shining in your daily life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to shine mt light, the light that you gave me, towards others. Bless me in this coming week so that my light will shine brighter and others will see it and see that a relationship with You Lord is very fruitful indeed. I thank you for all your many blessings. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2005 Bryan Hill