This past week was a real challenge for me. My husband has a condominium on the outskirts of Chicago that we do not get back to check on often. However, due to some damage that it had sustained from a fire and a flood, on two different occasions in his building, it was time for us to go and assess the situation to see what needed to be done.
We knew our hands were going to be full with clean up, throwing away items, and just figuring out what needs to be our next steps, but when we arrived, we had no idea that we were also going to face sweltering heat, rain, and a tornado. I am a California girl, and I am not used to tornadoes, even if they are considered small or light ones.
Furthermore, our cable was not working so we had no internet or television. My husband was about to have a fit when he could not watch his sports! To top it all off the main waterline to the building broke and we were without water for two days.
The HVAC had electrical problems, so we had no air conditioning, and our car was out of commission flat tires and all, so we had to get it towed. The list goes on a little longer, but I will not bore you with the rest of the details.
What came to my mind during all of this was the fact that in times like these we are challenged to see what we are really made of and are we willing to do what needs to be done when it is so easy to just throw in the towel. I knew I needed to be there to help and support my husband through this season so instead of complaining, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
I am not afraid of manual labor, but let us keep it real, I am in my 60s and I am a girl at heart, so this kind of work is not top of the list for me, but when things need to get done it is up to us to get it done.
This mindset pertains to things other than just manual labor. While we were away when we got tired from the work we were dealing with, we started watching whatever we could find on old DVDs he had laying around. My choices were either sports highlights, westerns, or civil war period movies. We ended up watching a lot of war movies.
As I reflected on what was happening over 150 years ago in the civil war period pieces, right here in our own country, they are issues we are still dealing with today. Truthfully, we are a divided country that is yet to be united as one.
In times like these we are witnessing a lot of hatred towards others and sometimes even families are on opposite sides of the fence on issues that affect all of us as a nation. The Bible has a lot to say about the importance of being in harmony with one another and striving for peace over warfare. The question is what are we willing to do to help make this possible?
Extending olive branches instead of throwing stones does not mean we have to agree with each other on everything, but it does mean we should try and show kindness and respect towards one another on how we communicate and interact with one another.
In war, the key things armies try to do is destroy the ability for there opponent to communicate and they try to take down bridges to limit their access to travel and gain ground. The same thing is happening during this political season.
Let us try and be the light in this darkness by being peacemakers in times of conflict. In times like these we may not be able to solve all the world’s problems, but we can roll up our sleeves and do what we can right where we are planted. One by one we can work together to get the job done.
Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on.
Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker.
