Everybody wants to be loved... nobody wants to do love. That's my take on the old gospel song, "Everybody wants to go to Heaven, nobody wants to die." Which, when I think on it, is just another way of saying, "Everybody wants to get, nobody wants to give."
Somewhere in the Bible it says something about to be like our Father, we must needs be willing to be slandered and vilified and kicked to the curb...repeatedly. I have no problem with that (read, that sails right over my head) until I, or my ego Lucy in truth, is nicked. Then nothing will do but to nick back, harder and in a more vulnerable place.
I half believe that the trouble with actually doing love is there are no immediate or visible rewards. Well, who needs that? I can get that with hate...only at least with hate I get noticed. Pouts Lucy.
I saw President Obama on TV yesterday walking an extremely fine line of restraint of tongue, and I heard the pundits later just castigating him for not showing strength. Restraint is the Rodney Dangerfield of personal actions...it gets no respect.
Here's the payoff, though: I'm betting the President sleeps better because of his restraint. I doubt he's awakened at 3:00 AM by his own rues, regrets and remorses because of his unrestrained tongue. That's close enough to gold for me...because I'm not sleeping all that well right now due to my unrestrained tongue. Rats.
If you do not learn how to love, everywhere you go you are going to suffer. -- Eknath Easwaran
Thank you.
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