Attention

This past weekend, I cleaned the floors of my mother’s house on my hands and knees. It was an old school, deep south style cleaning going on in her house this weekend.  Cleaning that was long overdue.

Sounds like a pretty nice gesture, right?

Well, I was not doing it for fun nor was I really doing it for her. I was doing it because my prized possession person, my son was going to be staying with her for a longer than normal visit. It was my goal to make him feel comfortable and at home, minus some dust and dirt particles in the living quarters that would be harmful to his allergies. Don’t be so quick to judge me considering he is a boy and should be accustomed to such – you haven’t seen the living quarters.

I spent a weekend there to clean and cook for him. I was doing it all for him and to make me feel comfortable about this visit he requested.

In life, I know that we all set out with these goals, planning and preparing. We perpetually do things in life to prepare for one thing or another.  However as we live and learn daily, we find that what we set out in a plan and expect to learn, we learn something entirely different. The outcome is not expected.

While I spent those days cleaning, the person who benefited most from those days was who? My mother.  Notice I said benefited from the days spent and not the cleaning being done.  She does not get many extended visits from her daughters.  She let me know in her seldom subtle statements, that her greatest gift was having me and my son with her for the time that we were there.

I set out selfishly for the betterment of myself and my son, there was a greater purpose in the weekend cleaning. A gift that can’t be purchased – the most priceless gift of time.

Go about life with two realizations – don’t do things with only self in mind. Pay attention to your actions, it is certain that it is done more often than not. There is likely someone else among you that is seeking to receive or learn something from you. It is certainly a blessing to be a blessing.  Secondly, plan, prepare, clean, and dust – do what you like, but life will always present you with a greater lesson if you PAY ATTENTION. 

Battle

There haven't been any battles won by an individual. I'm no historian or history buff, but I'm just about positive that there aren't any wars or battles fought alone. If there is one, please list it in my comment section.

Battles or wars normally consist of a leader and an army of people behind or along side them to go forward.

Life is full of battles - struggle.

Are you fighting it alone? Are you allowing a friend or family member fight it alone? If you are in fact allowing someone in your life struggle or fight a battle they are at war with alone, then you must not love them. Perhaps you are seeking out for them to lose a fight. There aren't any battles won by an individual. Don't go forth allowing someone you know fight a battle alone.  The flip side to this thing is that while you shouldn't allow others to battle struggles alone, you too shouldn't attempt such a feat alone.

What is it that you are struggling with? Finances? Career decision? Family decision? Car decision? Clothing decision? If it a big struggle or a little one, don't go it alone. Someone in your life may be willing to be that army to proceed full force ahead into battle. Don't turn down those who are enlisting themselves into your army of life. Welcome them with open arms.

I speak to this coming from both sides - I think.  Early in life I had a hard time accepting others into my army. There are still  moments that I would just rather go it alone. However during a Sunday morning church service, the message was that we shouldn't go it alone without God. I thought that is very true. No one goes into battle alone - so be it God or someone who God put here for us, we shouldn't be battling this thing called life alone. My command post is currently accepting applications.

There are times that I enlist myself into the lives of others. Presently, I feel like I'm not in enough armies, but none the less, I do work to participate in helping others with this struggle we call life. Are you accepting applications? I would apply. The army going into war can never be too large.

Now forward march! The battle is on!