Letter From My Heart and Other Ramblings on a Rainy Day

It seems that there are two opposite theories on humanity that constantly fight in our society.

And I don’t mean Republican and Democrats!!!

Some believe that human nature is perfectible and that with education, cultural influences, social engineering and hard work that we can all reach utopian ideals that are articulated in theory by enlightenment, socialism and post-modern stances on traditional things such as government and religion.

Then there is the other side that believes that human nature is not even close to being perfectible and we have to depend on God. We should observe the order of things as exemplified by his teachings and through a complete understanding of our place in the world we will find the only hope we truly have for advancement and enlightenment.

Since I am what could best be described as a “compromiser”, I think I take a little of both views with me everywhere I go. I truly believe that each of us has within us the ability to be who we want to be – but that’s an over simplification if I’ve ever had one.

We are products of our upbringing. We bring to our lives our own hopes and fears and prejudices and limitations and _____________(you fill in the blank and it will be right). And with those as the basis for our beliefs, it is up to us to plod through life and try to sort it all out and make sense of it.

And if you’re like me, and you like to rely on yourself, you will be sorely disappointed over and over by your own shortcomings.

It takes someone else to help define us – someone that sees beyond all of our limitations and can look at us without all the defensive things that we feel about ourselves. It takes someone else to look past our pride and see who we “can be” and love us unconditionally.

And when we find that, we can truly start on the path of becoming who we CAN be instead of who we think we are.

While I do take personal responsibility as the "highest calling" portion of our own responsibility in our own lives – enough water has passed under my bridge that I know that I can’t do it alone. If left to my own devices, I will sit on the couch and become one with the television. If left to my own devices, I probably will do the convenient thing instead of the right thing.

So today, I am thankful that I have several influences that force me towards being a better person and a more responsible member of the human race.

The first one that I am accountable to is my wonderful, beloved girl. The one that makes everything seem like summer all the time. The one that makes me want to be better than I ever thought I could be just so she will be proud of me.

I truly am the luckiest man in the world because of her.

I am also very accountable to my children. This is one of those things that you can’t explain to someone that has no children. But they change everything. You are held to a level of responsibility that you can’t have unless you have children. Sometimes that’s a pain in the ass but normally it’s an incredible blessing. And I have been blessed with two amazing children who I love totally and unconditionally. It’s very cool.

And finally, I am accountable to my God. This may ring hollow with people who don’t have faith in the way that I do, but I don’t apologize for that anymore than I blame people who don’t have that faith and relationship. I know this is a sticky subject, and I certainly don’t hold myself as superior for my faith – but I am very grounded in my faith and am comfortable that it guides me through things I would be completely lost in without it.

So those are my three things that I find myself personally accountable to. And truly, the rest of the world can kiss my ass because I don’t care what they think (ask my girl, she’ll tell you that is the one thing that drives her crazy about me – but she loves me anyway!).

And with that I will leave the philosophy to the philosophers and live my life as fully as I can and do the things that make me happy in the context that I have – and be thankful.

So with that in mind, I have written an open letter to the three greatest influences in my life and am sharing that with the world.............

I thank you for this day and the opportunity to see and hear you this morning. I’m blessed because you are so forgiving and understanding. You have done so much for me and I am thankful because of it.

Forgive me today for everything I have said or done that has displeased you.

Thank you for allowing my love for you to keep me safe from danger and harm. Because of you, I can start this day with a great attitude and a heart full of gratitude. You let me make the most of each day and you allow me to clear my mind so that I can sense what you want.

Thanks for broadening my mind and allowing me to have the perspective to accept whatever life throws my way. Thank you for not making me believe that I have to be in charge.

Thank you for not allowing me to whine and whimper over things that I have no control over. You always remind me what needs to be done and what needs to be ignored. You allow me to confess my weaknesses to you without judging me and that allows me to confront my own demons.

When the world closes in on me I am always reminded of your example to me. Your strength and courage are available in ample amounts. You remind me to slip away and find a quiet place to reflect. You listen to my heart and know what to say and when to say it. That’s not magic, that is love.

Continue to bless me so that I may be a blessing to others because due to the fact that I love you, I am able to love others more freely. You cause me to help the weak and pray for the lost. I try to help those that are misunderstood because you understand me so well.

I believe that love changes everything and every action shows love, those we do and even those we don’t do. I believe in the mystery of life and am happy that I don’t have to have the literal answers to things but can have faith in my love to show me the way.

My prayer for you would be that you would hear the truth in your heart and know that it is good.

I Love You.