What is Right and What is Easy

I was brought up well. I have goodly parents. They taught me well and raised me right, and especially showed me how to treat others. I love human beings. I see good in every one of them. I love you no matter your color, your inclinations, your choices, or your background. I am teaching my children to love. I feel I have been blessed to see the goodness in people no matter how far beneath the surface it is buried. As a matter of fact, I am often told I love far too readily and make excuses for the ways people may act. I'm really trying to understand their behavior and what may be causing them to make the choices they are.

BUT. If there is something that I feel is not righteous or is detrimental to the well being of me or my family, I may choose not to subject myself or the people I love to that influence. I will still love the person for who I see inside, but I will remove myself from what I may feel is dangerous or damaging to my spirit. I will not change my values or core beliefs because I love a person.

I feel in our world we confuse acceptance and love when they are two entirely different things. I may love a person dearly, but if they choose to be....say  a drug user, and I fear that my family may be influenced by those actions, I will not allow interaction between that person and my family members-especially during the drug use. I will be kind to that person, pray for that person, not speak badly about that person, and happily be around them when their thinking is clear. But I will not let my family think that the behavior is the correct way to lead a life. I will love the person, but not accept the behavior, or choose to be around it. It seems simple to me.

I also believe that we are responsible for the choices we make. No matter what has happened to us in the past, or who influenced us. I take responsibility for me. And there have been times that owning up to the things I have done is almost unbearable. It has led to realizing the many frailties and flaws in my personality. But I will not blame those actions on anyone but myself. I think that is one of the things we are on earth for. To overcome and show conviction even through hard times.

These are my personal views. In all my beliefs, loving one another is ingrained deeply in them. I realize we are all different and have to decide which values we are going to stand up for.  I don't want to ever fear that I did not stand up when I should have. It's a hard thing to do. It's not easy, and hopefully I will have the strength to stand up for truth while also being kind. And I will pray that those who see me stand up will also see the good in me that I see in them.