The Lorax Wisdom

 "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 

nothing is going to get better...it's not."

Last night was insightful and inspiring. As I drove my daughter to meet up with her carpool for soccer, I decided that tonight was the perfect night to get some shopping for Christmas and some shopping for preschool supplies done. But seriously...God has me on a mission right now.

I first stopped at Hobby Lobby and after wandering the store aimlessly for 30 minutes, I left empty handed. It was interesting to note that no one had the Christmas cheer in that store. There was the mom with a crabbiness settled on her face dragging a bored teen around, a husband and a wife arguing about how much longer they would stay, a grandma on a mission with a shopping cart...watch out! The Christmas Spirit just did not seem present there.

My next stop was a book store. As I walked in the doors a nice gentleman held the door for me and greeted me kindly. I looked aimlessly around this store for the perfect gift, for a few of my loved ones, to no avail.  Being that I still had another hour before it was time to go get my daughter, I settled in a chair with a few books to flip through. 

I spotted a book called Falling to Heaven by James Ferrell, an author I have enjoyed in the past. I read the first chapter and it sounded interesting based on where I am in my life right now. Which is not a good place people! I'm hurting right now, ugh! I will pick myself up as I always do, but my state of mind needed the balm offered in this book. As I scanned quickly through the pages, I came upon a chapter about forgiveness. Well, you know me, I'm on a forgiveness kick right now. 

Low and behold, there it was in black and white. The biggest "aha" moment of my journey. My justification, rationalization, reassurance, and biggest kick in the teeth I've had. Huh? Well, you see, Ferrell talks of forgiveness and uses a story to illustrate how quickly kids forgive and forget and get back to loving almost instantaneously. He then uses a story about his own marriage where he and his wife both struggled to forgive the other. Then he makes the point that sucker punched me in the gut! He said that offering forgiveness is just repenting that you have failed to love. 

Now let that sink in for a minute. When you "forgive" someone you are just admitting that you have been failing in the interim to love them through the hurt. Ferrell then goes on to point out that the Savior, who we are all trying to be like, never took time away from loving us and wanting to help us home despite the pain and suffering we inflicted on Him. This comes full circle to the Lorax wisdom. Unless we care about our brothers and sisters so much to put our ego and hurt aside, nothing is going to change and we will miss out on the opportunity to do what the Savior did, love them home.

Yep that gave me all the ammunition I needed to reinforce the idea that my ego needed, that my friend and her family are wrong to be ignoring me and my kids. They are wrong to not be loving us even more than before, since we are just struggling. Shouldn't matter the hurt we have inflicted on each other, we should all be loving each other extra through it. So....they are wrong, wrong, wrong! Right?

That's when it hit me! I was wrong.  I have been so focused on wishing and hoping that they would see this truth, that I didn't even see it myself. My responsibility is to not worry about the hurt and damage I feel they caused but to love them more, repent that I have not been loving them and to stand with the fellowship of the unashamed once more. 

Holy Cow! Now that was an "aha" take away. Needless to say, I went to one more store after the book store and came away empty handed there too. Christmas shopping here I come today.