email musings . . .

Late last night, reading The Christian Science Monitor online-daily, I was intrigued by a discussion of reactions to Hilary Clinton email revealed by WikiLeaks. . . a topic I frankly have tried to avoid. Yet it was what this piece taught me about myself that was interesting. (“Why haven’t Clinton WikeLeaks emails caused more uproar?”)

In short―the article noted that reaction was determined by who was reading the emails. Obviously! Yet I kept reading. Clinton supporters felt the messages revealed a careful conscientious approach, whatever the topic; while opponents claimed brashness, with efforts to conceal information.

Immediately I thought of my own reaction to personal emails, from friends and people I thought I knew well, that had at times struck me as harsh or rude―and yet when reading again were neither. Admittedly my mood or simply haste at first-read had weighed in . . .

Not the first time this newspaper has had this effect: consider the bigger picture, the various possibilities, the earnestness and inherent good-will of people involved!

And apparently this opening―humbling?―of my thought continued.

For I woke this morning with these words spoken so gently into my ear: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord [Love divine], thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Written text simply cannot do justice to explaining the effect of words on our hearts―this verse has always seemed a promise but not the gentle very personal, compassionate expression it had this a.m.. Even if some guilt had been weighing on me, such as my own rudeness or a midnight raid of the frig, that message would have washed it away.

“. . . to give you an expected end.” of grace . . . the godliness that heals. of joy . . . the delight that saves.

Repeating it over and over the blessing seeped in and continued: why God, divine Love, is speaking this in every ear; Her gift to each and all. So during my morning walk about my quiet neighborhood, I affirmed this reality about everyone I saw or thought of.

Granted, as the book of Proverbs also reminds me: if I’m of scornful heart or mean mind about anything or anyone―at that moment Love’s message falls on hard ground, not a generous heart.

yes even when reacting to emails . . . and so I return to Jeremiah: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord [Love divine], thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

all this from reading a newspaper article. how lovely.

Patti Kadick lives in Salisbury. this first appeared on her blog: aroundabovebeneath.com