Sometimes death just plain sucks

A great human being died this past Monday. My friend, Mark, who had been battling leukemia for several years finally lost the fight. He was a strong and mighty man, full of vigor, and the disease had to do its best to claim him. He fought on when most would've thrown in the towel. He was a man with a heart of gold and who spread kindness wherever he went. He had a twinkle in his eye whenever I saw him.
I got to know Mark years ago through church service. There I found out that Mark wasn't just a good man, but a great one. I loved him like a brother. The world will miss this guy, and so will I.

Fighting our inner battles

Occupying time with God's handiwork can take our minds off of nearly anything.

Do you ever feel lonely even when you're in a crowd--or even when you are around people whom you love and who love you? Nearly everyone has some kind of hidden trials that we don't know about. I guess mine is that feeling of loneliness. I've tried to pinpoint it. I'm a great one for self-analysis. I know that my decision to leave the LDS faith three years ago has left me somewhat isolated from people I love--even those who are closest to me. There are possibly other reasons that I can't identify. I was experiencing loneliness prior to leaving the LDS faith. I think in a way, that's my cross to bear so to speak. My thorn in the flesh. Others have trouble with depression or anger management or any number of things. I think most of us have heard the saying, "Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." (attributed to various people including Plato, but it looks like the original source is Ian Maclaren)
I need to remember that. The truth of it was forcefully put into my mind when I watched the 2017 film Wonder a few days ago. Told from various character's points of view, it shows emphatically how everything isn't always as it appears on the outside, or from one person's vantage point. Each person in that story had their own feelings and reasons for doing things the way they did. In real life it is that way.
I don't know if my feelings of loneliness will ever go away. It is my challenge. I sometimes forget about it when I get intensely interested in something. It happens for long moments as I'm driving and looking at the countryside. I think if I could travel more frequently, get outside with my wife Ann, or some friends and just do something that kept me occupied, then I could keep those feelings at bay for longer periods of time.
And that's likely the same with you who have your own feelings of loneliness, anger, or frustration. The key is to live in the moment and not dwell on what gives you those feelings. It's an involvement of self in things that thrill you, interest you, and enthrall you--occupying the space in your heart and mind where the feelings that make you sad take up room.
I like to think that more focusing on the needs of others helps with that too. I'm sure it helps with the welfare of the human soul. I will keep my wolf howling in the light of the full moon as my background image on my Facebook page. It reflects partially who I truly am. However, I know that my Lord may see fit to remove that image from my heart and mind, in his own timing. Until then, I will ask him to help me deal with it, and I will do as much of what I have found to be a relief of symptoms, even if not an all-out cure.
Just rest assured that we are all fighting a hard battle. Really. My goal is to treat you as if you were, with kindness and love.

Some things just make you feel good. This letter is tops on my list

As a mailman, I sometimes think that when someone acknowledges you with a tip or a plate of cookies, they are saying, "we really appreciate your service". I picked up a few goodies this year. Five of my 700+ customers thought about it enough to do something about it. I don't feel bad. I nearly didn't get anything out for my own mail carrier. I just got that done this morning. And really there is no requirement for anyone to do so. And, I just started this route in June, so some people don't even know me yet. It is pretty rare that I see most people outside. That being said, I received a letter yesterday from a young girl at a home from which I pick up packages from nearly every day. The letter made my day. Here is what it said:

Dear Post Officer (that's what my little sister calls you)

I just wanted to Thank you for all the work that you do. Especially at this Christmas time. It must be so much work around this time because of everyone sending Christmas packages, or getting presents to wrap for people, or stuff like that. And it also must be really hard at this time because of the cold. And so I just wanted to thank you for all the work you do. I don't know where we would be without your work. My parents send out a lot of packages for work and without you doing your job so well, my family would have a hard time making a living, and so Thank you! You're always so kind when you come to our house too. Even with our crazy dog. It must be hard being so nice. Especially when not everyone is nice back. So I just wanted to say thanks. Thank you for being happy and kind. I am thankful for you and so are many others, even if they don't say it. Always remember that. God loves you and is aware of you. You are doing better than you might think you are. Thank you for being our Post Officer. 

From one of your faithful customers (if you'd call it that).

I like those rocks

A few days ago, Ann and I were driving past a cemetery. "I like how they did those rocks," Ann said.
"What rocks?" I said. "Do you mean the head stones?"
She didn't mean the headstones. "No," she said. "They had a small part of the parking strip that they didn't know what to do with so they landscaped it with rocks."
As I thought about it, I actually thought about the headstones and what if she'd actually been commenting on them. Most cemeteries are well-designed, and the stones--rocks if you will--are laid fairly uniformly throughout the manicured lawn and trees. They are peaceful places for the living to remember the dead for the most part. But I also thought, would anyone want to be remembered as part of a collection of nicely designed rocks? The good news is that most people aren't.
Most people are remembered for cherished memories. For the love we had for them. For the good they did and the kindness they showed in their lives. They are remembered for their senses of humor or their love of life.
Sad it would be if they were only remembered as part of a collection of neatly arranged rocks, but there are people out there like that. Perhaps their sense of isolation keeps them from making friends. Maybe they have a mental illness that makes it hard for others to befriend them. Maybe they just never had children and lived to an old age with no one to remember them.
These are the kinds of people that most need our love and attention. It's those that are hardest to love that most need that love. Remember the words of our Lord:
³¹ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Let's not focus on the rocks, but on the people for whom those rocks are just a representation. Let's be kind to the lonely and down-trodden in the world. Not only will it make their lives better, but it will enrich ours as well.