“But as I looked at everything I had tried, it was all so useless, a chasing of the wind, and there was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” Ecclesiastes 2:11

CHASING THE WIND

We just celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior. How glorious a time of year this is in our lives! Now on to the the New Year with hopes, dreams, and praying we come to know our Lord, even more than we did last year.

A few things sit heavy upon my heart this time of year. Do, we, as the humans we are, put too much emphasis on the gaiety of the season rather than the true joy of the season?  We have parties, presents, and carry on into the 1st of January with the excitement. Ponder this for a while and come to your own conclusions as they fit into your lives. Then, act according to your heart and soul, directed by the Holy Spirit. Maybe we need to reflect on the real reason for this joyous time and this great adventure into the New Year.

Lately I have been thinking of the hard times we are going through. Then, again, not all of us are going through those hard times. It frustrates my very being when I read about the lavish lifestyles of CEOs. It frustrates my very being when I know the wealthy often give of their money to “things” that bring them glory and often times the people that work for the big CEOs do not make a good living. It seems that many CEOs are greedy little stinkers, let us say, they are just plain Scrooges in our society of today.

It breaks my heart when I see the many asking for help, even on places like Freecycle on the internet.

You know, I have been in a position, once in my life to beg. Yes, I begged from “church folks” big in the community in which I lived. This was many, many years ago. It took so much out of me, that I was truly exhausted. I had to pay it back in a very short time. Yes, I received help; however, never again, did those people look at me in the same way. I was supposed to be ‘ok” in life, not needing anything. I will never forget that experience and that is one of the reasons I have an open heart for those in pain. Just wanted you folks out there who are hurting, in one way or another, to know that I have been there, and, thus I know from which I “write.”

Last evening I was reading about Grey’s Garden. Two beautiful women caught up in wealth, eccentricity, and self-will being their downfall. One was the mother and one the daughter and both were extremely beautiful women. The sadness is they allowed their stubborn ways to dominate good sense and thus ended living in pure squalor. This was the famous Big Edie Bouvier Beale and Little Edie Beale. Big Edie was the cousin of Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

I love seeing photos of folks when they were young. I somehow feel so drawn to thinking of people the way they were when they were young and how they are now. What happens to each of us over the years sketch upon our faces. Some of us know pain and some of us go through life untouched by pain of illness, pain of poverty, or the pain of being unloved.

As we look forward to a new year, let us pause and try to think about how our Lord was as a baby, as a toddler, as a young child, as an adolescent and as a young adult. He lived, as we do, growing in life experiences. Let us remember how much He loved us…..from that darling Babe in the manger to His horrendous death upon the cross.

Please remember your fellow brother and sister this coming year, daily. Please do not judge each other, but instead, reach out with kindness. Even if it is just a smile upon your face, please, please give something of yourself to others. You may not have much money this coming year, who cares, life is NOT about money, it is about LOVE!

If you chase only the “wind” of life, you will never be happy. If you have everything you desire, you will never be happy. Seek first the joy of knowing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Once you have found the love of God and the joy of speaking with Him and His family, you are blessed. No other person on this earth, no other horrible time upon this earth can harm you if you have faith in your Holy Family. Believe you me, I know the Holy Spirit walks with me daily and directs my life, if only I listen. Please, please hear me as I speak with true conviction of what I say.

Look around about you for the lost children, the Big Edie’s and her daughter, the drunk, the Scrooge, the prostitute, and the beggar on the street. They all have a story….you have a story…..I have a story…..just remember that and try and forgive, love, and cherish life, no matter what your life happens to be, right now.

It is easy to write the above words…..harder to live them, but live them we must strive to do, or we will never know true happiness.

Yes, money can pay the bills, but money and wonton pleasure will never give you true meaning in life. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the clock to my younger days when neighbors were neighborly, children were not so self-willed, TV not so “reality,” and people were not so afraid.

I pray you all have a Blessed New Year, dwelling NOT on the presents you did not receive this past year, but dwelling MORE on the “PRESENCE” of the Lord being in your lives, this coming year.

God bless each of you, my dear friends, as I call you my friends, you are dear to me because you are a part of my life as you read my words. You are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love and

I remain His humble servant,

Copyright Leigh Moran