Advent and being kind -- the challenge continues

Yesterday ended a 35 day posting streak. I was out of my usual morning routine and didn't really feel like writing anything later in the day. I didn't even have a set aside meditation time, although the day was a quiet and thoughtful kind of day. I also didn't have a set aside medication time and almost forgot to take my daily blood pressure pill (now a part of my morning routine).

In keeping with my 24 days of purposeful kindness for Advent -- I did get some volunteer time in and managed to thank and compliment the workers at Subway on their fine crafting of my sandwiches (for last night and for today) and friendly service. I don't know if today will hold any actual people interactions, so I'm definitely going to have to be purposeful about finding some way to be Christ-like while sitting alone at home. (Personally, I think keeping this sarcastic, condescending, grumpy old man at home is an act of kindness to the general public, but...that's just me.)

The gospels do tell us that Jesus got away to pray on a regular basis.
Matthew 17:17 tells of Jesus' frustration with people -- "How long must I endure you people?"
But I really don't see Jesus as an introvert. I'm not even certain that an introvert can read the gospels and think, "Jesus gets me." 

I mean I certainly believe that God understands us and loves us, but I also think that serving, helping, and loving others is a particularly big ask of some of us. I don't know, maybe it's a big ask for all of us. 
For now, I'm just going to enjoy my morning coffee and quiet time and share the fire with Groucho, the cat.

Be well, my friends
John

December 1st: Making kindness a habit

Today is Sunday, December 1st, 2024.
If you follow the Liturgical Calendar, it is the first day of Advent and Christians around the world begin preparing to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

As a kid, I never really got the Advent season. I mean -- why would we prepare for something that happened 2000 years ago?
As a jaded adult, I still don't get it. Why celebrate the birth of a Savior whose teachings about caring for your fellow human beings you choose to ignore? 
Let's face it -- as a jaded adult, there isn't much about religion that I find valuable anymore. 

But I do value the teachings of Jesus, even as I sometimes struggle to value and care for the people around me.
I think I'm going to spend my Advent being purposeful about emulating a behavior or practice of Jesus daily. I'm not going to write about it daily. Although I may write to encourage others to do kind things in the coming days. I really haven't thought this out and I don't know what things I'll wind up doing. I do know that I am already dreading that I'll probably have to spend more time with people and am considering deleting this part and writing something else. 
I'm already on the schedule to work at the shelter tonight, so Day 1 is taken care of. Who knows what Days 2-24 might bring?

I welcome your suggestions and invite you to be purposefully kind and Christ-like in the days leading up to Christmas. The 3+ weeks might be enough to make daily kindness a habitual thing.

John