It's that one phone call, that one look, that one decision - that changes your life; The phone call that offers you the job of a lifetime, the phone call that you hear a long lost voice on the other end, the phone call that tells you are going to be a grandparent. The very same phone call can bring tragedy, sadness, and feelings of helplessness. Accidents, dismissals, bad medical reports, the loss of a loved one. These are the hard calls, the ones we need people around us to help us through them. And it is these people in life that are most important. The ones who encourage us through the good times and carry us through the bad - these are the beautiful souls. I can name dozens in my life. Dozens. The old adage is certainly true, that some people come into your life for a season, and some for a reason. Some beautiful souls helped me through college, some through a divorce, others through the loss of my loved ones. Some are still in my life now, and some are faint memories of a now-closed chapter. Close your eyes and think for a minute. Can you see them? Can you see the beautiful souls who have crossed your path over the years? Now open your eyes, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: Am I a beautiful soul? You see, beautiful souls surround you, and you surround others. Would they call you beautiful? There's a scripture that popped in my head as I was pondering if I were a beautiful soul to others. The scripture is about the fruit of the spirit. In the book of Galatians, it speaks of 9 attributes of a person when they are living in accord with the Holy Spirit. When I think of fruit, I think of sweetness, a dessert. Often fruit is served as a dessert, or in a dessert, so my correlation of fruit to sweetness is justified. The fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control - are each attributes that lend to the sweeter side of a person. Never have I heard someone say, "That person was full of kindness and it was terrible!" or, "That man was so patient and his patience was disgusting!" Most humans are innately drawn to those who exhibit the fruit of the spirit. I know for myself, I much prefer the company of someone who is peaceful as opposed to someone breaking the dishes and flipping tables because the dinner rolls were burned. Close your eyes again. I want you to look at your beautiful soul. Do you exhibit any qualities like in Galatians? Are you loving, joyful, a peacemaker, patient, kind, full of goodness, gentle, faithful, exhibit self-control? I am not....at least not all of them. But I am working on being a better person every day. Life seldom takes a straight path. The life-changing phone calls are moments of wins and losses, true examples of the hoped-for, and the unexpected. The beautiful souls are those in our paths that help us celebrate or pick up the pieces. It's all part of Living the Curvy Life.
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