A pendulum swings

It has been a while since I have blogged.  Lots of reasons not worthy of going through, other than one.  I ran into a few road blocks in the last week or two of splinters in my own character.  I originally intended this blog to be used to flesh out some areas in my life that I wanted to grow in but it seems that nothing is private and true intentions are generally not considered so I became hesitant to write what I was dealing with.  Fortunately this all came to a head on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. 

In Dr. King's famous " I have a dream" speech he said "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

The issue I had become painfully aware of was my judgement of others based on all kinds of visual factors, appearance, walk, talk, dress, chosen associations; everything other than content of their character.

Not only did this echo into my gut just as soon as I read the words but it also forced me into an area where I had to, and am still, examining my character.  Firstly, I know nothing of the people that I am judging and while who we are on the inside is often portrayed on the outside, it is not always so.  Nor does that count for the multiple layers that appearance has to make it through before it can be portrayed; peer pressure, fashion, etc  Secondly, these are God's people I am judging, aren't they?  Thirdly, the obvious flaws that are in my own character that are present to generate such feelings of disgust and intolerance need to be and will be dealt with.

Lastly, what is the content of our character?  Who are we when no one is looking?  How do we behave, act, think & feel that no one but us knows?  Self-examination is paramount.  Change is a must.  Static is dying, let us grow and become so that we may grow others.

Life is such a ride.  I am appreciative of all it has to offer and above all things I hope to love people.  It will be in my own pain in the butt way, but I hope to display and act on love.  Everything else is fleeting.