It seems like wherever one turns these days, there are all sorts of reminders that there is something we need to be concerned about.
Whether it’s the daily reports about the COVID-19 pandemic or the upcoming election, I have already reached the saturation point with all of COVID-19 data and the political ads and e-mails that extol the virtues of one candidate and the flaws of their opponents.
That is why in the midst of this onslaught, there is a verse from Philippians that has proven to be a source of encouragement for me: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”
One of the things that has helped me to think about such things has been a daily e-mail from the folks at Inspiremore.com, who provide links to stories that prove that even in the midst of all this chaos, there are plenty of good things happening and lots people practicing “random acts of kindness.”
So whether it is this short powerful video of this beautiful girl getting a pair of glasses that allows her to see her mom clearly for the first time.
Or this video of Josh Schaffer, a.k.a. Milwaukee Mario, whose mission is to “spread smiles” as he drives the Mario Go Kart around different cities.Or the stories and videos that show the power of love in action, there are lovely and admirable things going on.
In this COVID-19 world, the hospital only allows one family member to stay with their loved one while they’re receiving chemotherapy. Since his mom Lori works at the hospital, his dad came up with a unique way to support his son during treatment. As the article notes, “every Tuesday while Aiden is at the hospital with Lori, Chuck shows up in the parking lot outside. He brings a speaker full of upbeat music with him — and a serious commitment to boogie!”
This video will melt your heart as you see Chuck’s commitment to bring a smile to his son’s face as Aiden watches from a window inside and tries to follow along. “It’s funny watching him figuring out all that he is going to do,” Aiden said. “Yup. It just cheers me up sometimes.”
And his dance routines have also caught on with the hospital staff and they look forward to the dance shows. As his mom Lori noted: “Family is everything, togetherness is everything, but even when you can’t be together as a whole family as a unit, you find ways that you can.”
I know that you probably already have too many e-mails hitting your inbox, but the Inspirenow.com e-mails might be one you’ll look forward to getting. Personally, for me, these e-mails help me appreciate a story about a wise philosopher who noted that within each one of us, there is a battle between a good dog and a bad dog. When asked, which dog prevails in the battle, he responded: “Whichever one I choose to feed the most.” Let’s feed the good dog!
