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I am going to tell you the one strange thing that has happened to me during this pandemic. I thought you might be interested in one woman's view.

I thought I would become bored, bitter and full of cynicism. I thought I would stop liking people. I was wrong.

Instead, Jesus (and my own determination) led me to be tolerant and loving. I don't go all that many places because I am high risk, but when I do go to doctor's appointments and on necessary excursions, I keep a smile on my face and a friendly attitude.

Sometimes if someone is having a rough day, I compliment their hair, outfit, or whatever strikes me. Sometimes it cheers them and they give me a smile back.

You know how you can tell that someone is smiling, even if they have a mask on? You look at their eyes. You look for brightness, alertness, and crinkles at the edges. Anyone who thinks that wrinkles are "ugly" is not a frequent recipient of a sincere smile.

That's why sometimes you meet a person who only smiles with his/her mouth and not their eyes. Without those crinkles, the smile looks kind of fake.

I have discovered more nice people than I ever knew existed. The world is no longer negative as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, there are rotters out there; there always will be. But as far as I'm concerned, they can bug off. They are flies in my ointment.

I refuse to give in to their toxicity because I know that they are terribly unhappy and always will be. I have more sympathy than dislike for them, and if they really are evil, I try to forgive them as Christ teaches.

The world is still a wonderful, magical place for me. I rather like being naive. I'm certainly much happier than I would be if I sat there reading and watching all the news and getting more and more depressed.

I am 70 years old and am on kidney dialysis and have diabetes.
Statistically, I may only have 5-10 more years to live. Or, I may die in a car crash tomorrow. I don't know.

But what I do know is, I have limited time in this world and I intend to live it in the happiest most peaceful way possible.

I have no more time for hatred.
I have no more time for racism.
I have no more time for war.
I have no more time for toxic people.
And I REALLY have no more time for politics.

It's just going by all too fast and I plan to live it MY way.

Anyway, that's my simple formula for relatively stress-free living.

And I'm sending you a big, crinkly-eyed smile.

Love from Minx.
Minx Rebman McCloud

From Pastor Fred
The passage that came to mind as a copied this is from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5:

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we[ boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.