Good Sunday all.........Gommy must be some sort of 'thought magnet' because terms, words, phrases and terminology frequently pop out for Goms and that starts the old brain to ponder. This morning, the terminology 'User-Friendly' popped out for Goms. The definition of user -friendly is as follows; 1) the ease with which people can employ a certain tool or other human- made objects in order to obtain a certain goal, and 2) the study of the principles behind an object's perceived efficiency or elegance.
Gommy read the definition and immediately translated the first definition to mean, 'humans making humans'.... (as in our offspring being human-made) and the second definition to mean humans in general being 'the perceived efficiency or elegance' of those human-made offspring.
Parenting is a 'crap-roll' for some and a very thoughtful plan for others. Those parents that just roll the dice with their parenting and let the 'chips fall where they may', often end up with a messed-up child with a messed-up childhood. Those parents who plan the births of their children and give much thought to raising good citizens with good self-esteem, usually end up with a well adjusted child (and one who has attained elegance), who can navigate the world that is waiting for them.
Goms then started to wonder how many of us are really 'user-friendly' in our every day lives. Are we easy to get along with? Do we say what we mean and keep our word when we give it so we can be 'read' the way we intended? Are we generous in our hearts? Do we feel for those who have less than us? Are we kind to those who we come in contact with?
Then Goms thought, how 'user-friendly' are we with the gifts we are given, such as our very lives, or our ability to use the knowledge we are given, or how generous we are with those who don't have as much as we do? Then Bill and Melinda Gates came to mind. When we think of generous people, the Gates' pop out in a big way. They are the richest people in the USA and their philanthropy is HUGE. They 'get it' that they should give back for all they have been given. You hear people say all the time, "Why should we help x, y or z......they aren't my responsibility?" But the Gates' surely and thankfully don't think that way. They could just sit back and enjoy all their billions of dollars and not worry for a minute about the rest of us, but they don't. They give, give, give all the time to charities in our country and to developing countries who need medical treatment and for vaccines for third world countries so they aren't dying by the thousands because they don't have the knowledge to save their lives or the lives of their children.
The pastor and author Rick Warren, who wrote "The Purpose Driven Life", says that you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. The words 'miser' and 'misery' come from the same root word. Think about it......
In the generosity area of our lives, it isn't so much the amount we give as the regularity with which we give. Everyone seems to be generous during the holidays....but that is 'impulse generosity'. Real generosity is when we give on a regular basis and not just when there is an urgent need. It would be a good thing if we all could become 'habitual givers'..... We also must remember that we cannot choose who we are good to or decide who should be the beneficiaries of 'goodness'. If we are truly good Christians.....shouldn't we then love ALL people? Remember....hate is not a family value. Most of us have much more than we could ever use and if that is so, it is 'expected' of us to do more than those who 'have not'. If you are a Bible reader, look up Luke 12:48 and see that is reads; "For unto whomsoever much is given, much will be required." What that means is that the more we are given, be it knowledge or gifts, the more useful we should be in the world. So, in proportion to what has been entrusted to us, the greater improvements of those gifts is expected from us. If you need another reference, look up Deuteronomy 15:7 - it reads, "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother." That thought process should work even if anyone is not a Christian. Goms always says that no matter what your belief, if we could all just be 'Christ-like' in how we live our lives.....we would all be the better for it.
So, here's to beginning the week with charity in our hearts and begin to elegantly be more 'user-friendly' in how we are with our fellow human beings. Let's begin to explore our broader value as human beings and stop demonizing our differences. We can be so much more than we are. It's worth the attempt....Have a great week boys and girls.....and thank you God for all your Blessings. Hugs & Mush, Gommy
