by Dona Hake
I would like to share my heart with you today as to how I was so blessed yesterday. I was fortunate to be delightfully blessed to see and overhear a conversation that was a much needed blessing for me. You see, I left my home yesterday very saddened in my heart. Before I turned the news off, I saw once again the video that has gone viral, and is trending in our Nation. In the video you see a young woman jumping up and down of the beautiful American flag making a mockery of it. My heart has been so sickened by this. The three times that I have seen this, it was followed with interviews of young men that served our country for our freedom. To see them share their heart about it is so touching.
Last week we saw tensions rise as massive violence swept the city of Baltimore. So many senseless things happened. Our policemen are being disrespected, and I think it is terribly wrong, and my heart is grieved for men and women that have committed themselves to protect us, and maintain peace, and this is how they are being viewed and treated. Needless to say, my heart has been very grieved by all this is going on in our world.
The Lord began to speak to my heart yesterday after I left a restaurant with my Granddaughter. He reminded me that there is good around us, and we need to stay focused on what good we can still see. If we choose to focus too much on the ugly, surely we will miss little surprise blessings that I had witnessed in the restaurant.
As I sat in the restaurant, I noticed an elderly gentleman sitting at a booth. He was a very jovial man, and I noticed him enjoying himself as he ate his breakfast. Then I saw another older black man walk by him as he was going to pay his bill. They both exhibited joy as they saw each other. This is thing though…they did NOT know each other. They both had caps on that identified what branch of service they were in as they served our country. The black man said to this elderly white gentleman, “God bless you brother!!!” They shared when and where they served, they teased about how old they were. The one said proudly…”I was born in 1930, you figure out how old I am!!!” As they parted, you could tell they were both lifted up by them meeting each other, and it truly blessed my heart to witness it.
So in the midst of the horrible racial tensions, I saw a very sweet sight between a white man and a black man. They understood what really mattered, and it was not their differences. It was about what they stood for and fought for as young men. After all these years they are still proud of the the fight they fought, and the cause they stood for. I saw the older white gentleman struggling to walk to his car. He had a cane in both of his hands to help him walk. Oh how my appreciation for those that have served once again welled up in my heart. A sweet moment that was a good moment, and the Lord reminded me to to not be consumed with all that is going wrong, and appreciate sweet moments as these.
It got even sweeter…my little Granddaughter climbed into her car seat and said, “Wait Grandma, I must buckle my seat belt because I must be obedient to the policemen.” So from the heart of a three year old I heard respect and a desire to obey her authorities. A few words from a little one can bless your heart if you keep your ears open to listen. I encourage you today to look for good and sweet things around you. Look for those things to set your heart upon, and be blessed!