how do you define yourself?

A few days ago a news story reported two "women of color" who stole money from a 90 year old woman. After much press exposure, the two women were found. Many people clapped their hands and said, "now justice has been served." Yet the most these two perpetrators will get is probably a slap on the wrist. Should a crime be judged by whether or not you rob  90 year old women or a twenty year old woman? I can't be a judge to that- to me, robbery is robbery, no matter who you steal from. 

What is really making me think, however, is just what IS happening...and what the news only reports. There is injustice all around us, but to be fair, there are also acts of goodness around us as well. The disparity is that everyone loves dirty laundry. Doubt me? We all love to hear gossip, the juicier the better. There too, is where we need to practice restraint. Is it fair to another to be the subject of gossip? Even the Hollywood celebrities get tired of it and will seek isolation when they can to avoid it. 

Yes, injustice has been in existence since Cain beat Abel to death out of jealousy, since David killed Uriah to win Bath-sheba, since Jesus was tortured on a Cross for just being Himself...and on it continues.

I think it is high time for people to stand up and declare that there will be no more injustice. When people of differing nationalities take to the streets to spread a message that they matter and yet what their brothers and sisters do in the name of injustice is just wrong!  One group in particular, the Black Lives Matter group, is claiming that the police are shooting and killing their own. Yet "their own" are also the ones who are robbing 90 year old women, they are beating and killing young children, they are driving by and randomly shooting up neighborhoods. They are given many wonderful opportunities to succeed through various work and school programs, but in their minds, they insist they are being profiled.

When I was young, we also grew up poor, yet I saw my father struggle to make a life for us. I grew up with a work ethic- that if you want more, you have to go out and get it. So I did. I have always hit the ground running. The few times where I have hit bottom financially has inspired me to get back up and seek out a new way. I have never sat in pity, drawing attention to myself. I have never blamed others, I have always practiced gratitude for what I was given. There were no entitlements; I knew that hard work will always pave the way towards success.

Somehow in life, it has tipped over, those ideals. People have developed an "it's all about me" attitude, "and to heck with you!" Yet there is also good everywhere. I think it's time for good to prevail, don't you? The best way to start is to pay it forward every chance you get. Smile at everyone you meet. Maybe someone is having a bad day...so be the one to make it better. Live with an attitude of gratitude. Did you know that grateful people are also the happiest people, in both the workplace as well as at home? Stands to reason, right? If you are grateful, you will be happy and happy people have nothing to complain about. Happy people don't have a need to hurt others, they don't seek out the easy way, they will give to another because that is how life goes around. Cain killed Abel because he was unhappy. David thought that to have Bath-sheba would make him complete. The people of Jesus' day thought that to be rid of Him would restore their status quo (as miserable as that was!) We all think that when we win the lottery, we will be so happy, yet statistics again prove that those who are the happiest are not those who have a lot of money, in fact, to have a lot of money can make one miserable as they are always jumping through hoops (what to do with that cash, how to invest, what if the stock market crashes, how will I insure my new boat, my new car, my huge house....) Jesus admonished us all about storing up treasures on earth, instead we need to store riches in heaven. (Matthew 6:20)

Come to think of it...heaven is a happy place. We will have all that we need there. No sense of entitlement, no need for jealousy, no reason to cause another pain. But we can also do that right now...here on earth! Will YOU be the one who can do that?
I think you can!