Are you a list maker? I am. Somehow I just feel adrift if I don't have a pen at hand and that reassuring little piece of paper with all the stuff I need to do. Calls to make. Errands to do. Grocery lists. On and on and on. They're the glue that keeps my life together. And - yes, I'll admit it - I love crossing stuff off. Look! See? I'm efficient! I'm useful!
Oh, those lists. We're pretty ambitious, aren't we? I'll write down dozens of things I need to do - water the garden, buy cat food, etc., etc. Usually only a fraction of them get done. At the end of the day I frown, sigh and start a new list, and those big things I added hopefully ("Clean the basement" "Write my will" "Lose weight") move onto the next page in my life. I know. It's part of being human, isn't it? We want to be better, but most of the time just getting the little stuff done takes all our time and energy.
But I made a decision the other night. I looked down at that blank piece of paper and thought: what do I really want to do with my life tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and the rest of my life? And I wrote down one word, just one, at the top of the page: SHINE.
These days the world seems so dark and full of trouble. Where are we heading? Is there hope? We watch the news and our spirits sag under the weight of the whole world's suffering. It's too much for my heart to bear. I need to go back to my little corner of the world and ask: what can I do to help this struggling world today?
I can find a way to shine.
That's right, to shine! Maybe I can shed some light in this dark, aching world by giving a little warmth and kindness.
It doesn't have to be a big thing, really. There are so many small ways we can make a difference! Maybe I can stop to chat with the neighbor down the street who lives alone, or send a get well card to a friend. I can make a call, or donate to a charity. I can take good care of myself and eat healthy. I can talk to someone in the grocery store, or volunteer at the food pantry. I can work on ways to live more lightly on the earth, too.
How about you? How do you already shine in your corner of the world? Take a minute to think about yourself and who you are as a person: your skills, your experiences and your character. How are you making the world a better place right now - for your friends, your family, your town?
There are so many people who are doing so many simple, ordinary things that help ease this troubled world. If you look for people doing loving things, they're everywhere! The folks on Facebook who help find a lost dog. The people holding signs on a bridge, calling for change. The people helping serve meals or volunteering for the local blood drive. So many good people are bringing light into a dark world. And you're one of them, too, I know.
Today, when I plan my day and write out my to-do list, I think I'll write that one word: SHINE, on the top of that list, just to remind me to find some good I can do in my own small way. At the end of the day, when I look back, maybe I can say, here's what I did to light up my corner of the world. I can't heal the world, but I can make a difference right here.
So as we walk out into our day, let's each look for a way we can give more and make our corner of the world a little brighter. This struggling world that needs every little bit of love and laughter we have to give. Let's all go out and shine!