There is too much selfishness and pettiness in this world. Oftentimes it takes an amazing example of selfless love and tender care for another to remind us to remove everything from our lives that is not of God to finish the masterpiece that He began in all of us.
Listen to this week’s insightful message of hope and clarity accompanied by original piano music.
Secretary/Treasurer
Janice is not only meticulous in reviewing records and requests for Scriptures, but her eyes well-up with joyful tears when you ask her about all the letters she has received from the thousands of Bible recipients over the years. She loves gardening and listening to the earth; her life is like a long stroll through an intriguing and engaging nature center.
Board Member
Grateful for an amazing group of friends and a life that has been blessed and enriched by so many, Andrea brings a deep joy and dedication to the mission of CityOfAgape. She is detail-oriented and uses her experience and foresight to proactively address the needs of those around her. When you speak with Andrea, you feel like you’re the only one in the room.
Secretary/Treasurer
Every day, for nine months, an intermittent light rain falls in Seattle, Washington. Those days are brightened by the warm smile and hopeful outlook on life that Angelyn brings to every encounter. Her financial expertise and engaging conversation has ensured great things ahead for CityOfAgape. Her life is filled with a constant welcome that is focused and friendly.
President
Jacqueline’s life epitomizes hard work, creative service and complete dedication, not only to CityOfAgape, but also to her husband, Joshua, and her beautiful children. Her smile, even when things are difficult, is refreshing and comforting. In most currently used English dictionaries, under the word “energy,” you will find Jacqueline’s picture.
Board Member
Everyone needs to have a Ray “Redfish” for a friend or at least to meet one like him before you leave the planet. He has never been known to interrupt a single person, say an unkind thing, although he did come close during the last Dallas Cowboy game, or leave any food on his plate. Ray wants to live in a world where Jesus is Lord, life is sacred, and blessings never end.
Board Member
Father David comes from the land of Iowa where you can get sunburn and frostbite all in the same week. He has the mind of an architect and the soul of a musician. Father David has given his heart to Jesus and truly lives in the Kingdom. An accomplished guitarist, drummer, phenomenal preacher, he has the voice of a baritone angel. His prayers are powerful and his humor, well… it’s Iowan.
Board Member
Father James’ priestly service has taken him to four different countries, many parish settings, and in contact with more friends that rivals most politicians. One of his favorite quotes is by G.K. Chesterton, “Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” If there are sounds of a lively discussion, mixed with hearty laughter and the aroma of a good cigar, Father James can’t be too far way.
Founder and President Emeritus
The minute John walks through the door, your IQ goes up. He embodies the remarkable talent of grasping the bigger picture while juggling multiple points of view, in a world where many are very one-sided. Always happy, even when he is sad, John is ready to challenge and comfort all in the same breath. Where some only see problems, John sees the bright promise of tomorrow. His inspiration and memory will outlast his years on earth. John always says, “there are always miracles where there is great love.”
Thanks for the story and the reminder.
Sometimes, It’s hard for me to comprehend why people react or respond the way they do. Some are always angry, some are greedy, some think they know everything and they’re always right. Then there’s the ones that be little others. My list can go on and on. It’s sad. I always ask myself “what is that person going through?” In the end, the only conclusion I can come up with is they don’t know Jesus. They don’t have Jesus in their heart. How sad, I don’t understand why. I guess it’s everything we see on television, the news or songs with lyrics not good for the soul. The devil slowly creeps into our lives and we don’t even know it until it’s too late. So I pray. I pray everyday for people who don’t know Jesus. I pray and forgive everyone that has ever been mean to me or meant harm to me. I pray and forgive. You must have Jesus in your life. You must smile and say kind words and help one another. That’s what Jesus would do. He is our example and we must finish His masterpiece!
There are many of us, readers and followers, who completely agree with your assessment, Julie, and find the same kinds of unanswered questions in life. As Christians who live and work among others who do not believe, sometimes we hear the question, “If there is a God, then why is there suffering? There is so much pain in the world. Is there hope?” Thankfully and mercifully, there is God who cares about us. He actually put His only Son right into the mess and darkness and gave up His life to take away the pain of our sins. The peace He brings us will help us through all of the sufferings we see and feel. Like you, I believe we are never alone, and that we will find reassurance in the very person of Jesus Christ. Let us all be His light and voice to others in this life. You are right: Let us finish the masterpiece!
Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books – especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.
John Wooden
It seems about half the citizens of our beloved country mistake mean spirited selfishness for strong leadership. Of course this has created an adversarial culture of us against them. “Them” being anyone that dares reject mean spirited selfishness. In our human naivety we are quite capable of ignoring or simply forgetting we are them, and them – us. Imperfect all. One nation under God.
This beautiful story reminded me of St. Joan of Ark when she said, “If I be not in a state of grace, I pray God place me in it; if I be in it, I pray God keep me so.”
Thank you, Tony, for your insights in response to our latest podcast, “Finish the Masterpiece.” While I am not sure how long in our shared human history people have been wondering why we can be so mean to each other, it certainly seems to be a plaintive cry across the internet. Although the issue may be more prevalent online due to the anonymity and accessibility, it is by no means limited to the online community. Yet, other people’s “meanness” impacts us more than it really needs to. The more that people can recognize that the meanness they experience from others is either unintentional or is more about the mean person rather than about them, the less they personalize the meanness and the less impact it has on them. When I read your quotation from St. Joan of Arc, I realized that no matter who is mean to me in whatever circumstance or level, global, international, nationally, locally or even ecclesial, the real test is how we deal with them. What matters, as you so brilliantly pointed out, is whether or not we are in the state of grace and how quickly we decide to get there.
Another reason mean people are more noticeable is that their behavior is often particularly offensive and hurtful. We are more likely to notice and dwell on the person who cut us off in traffic rather than the person who let us merge. The more malicious the behavior, the more likely we are to be distressed and to dwell on what occurred. However, this supports the position that meanness isn’t the norm. For instance, notice what stories make the news. The nature of news is that it is unusual or it has an extreme impact on people’s lives. Since meanness gets our attention, it is actually rarer than niceness but more noticeable.
Great discussion here. God bless all our readership and contributors!
This hits home for me. Realizing where I stand in life right now and how I surrounded my self in a toxic relationship with toxic people. There is so much more to life other than what you drive or what’s in your account. Me realizing and understanding is a blessing and the first step. To be happy and give my life to GOD and things will fall into place. I know that eventually he will put positive people in my life. Thank you for the message.
Thank you very much, Jakob, for your thoughts and insights. Many people deal with toxic relationships and some do not even realize that they are being pulled into these emotional quicksand pits! Toxic people can enter our lives through all kinds of avenues: friends, family, significant others. We may not always notice when toxic people enter our lives – or, when we do, it’s already too late for us to turn around and walk away. Letting go of a toxic person can be difficult, especially because it is within a toxic person’s nature to make it as hard as possible. The only way, as you brilliantly suggested, is to give one’s life to GOD and never look back. It is Him who we serve, and love, and have our being and we get that right, everything else falls into place. God bless you always!
“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don’t turn your hair gray. Don’t carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don’t lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!”
― Bryant McGill
The passage today has hit me directly..I just started a new business and have been praying the right people to be apart of it..I came from a toxic environment where the leadership was selfish and greedy…Here we are all selfless..We do things for each other without looking for anything in return..We care for one another and we are all like brothers..
Thank you for such a beautiful message
This is truly providential, Abel! While the world is full of selfishness and greed, there are still bright spots in life that remind us all of the things that truly matter!
What so many people fail to realize is that winning in this life has very little to do with what you have in your bank account, and while that is certainly important to pay the bills, support a family, be responsible stewards, the real goal is seeing Jesus face to face in those few seconds after death and find Him so happy that you made it and then leading you in with the biggest smile on His face.