Leaving life better off having been here!

Is striving for heaven worth it if we leave the earth in a shambles? 

I took a walk yesterday afternoon. We had spent the better part of the day driving from Pinedale, WY to Steamboat Springs, CO. I needed to stretch my legs after the drive and the main street with all of its visual stimulation proved to be the ideal opportunity.

As I walked along, I came across a building with the saying, 'Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize that you're already in heaven." -Jack Keroauc. Keroauc was a novelist, poet and pretty much a unique character for his time. He wrote in a stream of consciousness manner (my kind of guy). He also spoke about the challenges in society to breakdown barrier between white and Black people during a season when few white authors actually broached the subject. 

This morning I'm writing this in a Steamboat Springs "Off the beaten path Coffee Shop". Seems to be coming a trend cause yesterday morning, we visited a Pinedale coffee shop. The outside was decorated beautifully and the store had a lovely garden patio area. 

The owner's vision was to blend a place where local artist can sell their creations. All really cool! A stack of sticker one proclaiming a simple sentiment of 'Hope' and I thought this is a place I could easily frequent. We gave our orders and then Jack pointed out a display of baseball caps hailing a political candidate who causes the hair on my neck to rise up. And my initial thought was, oh, Jeez! What a shame! But putting on my best pastor's face I proceeded to my best manners using ma'am and more pleasanties to the rather bristled barista who was obviously my elder and seems to not be having a good day.  I didnt say what I thought, I behaved. 

What if we all just "behaved ourselves?" Shared a little more kindness and even when "our buttons are pushed" ... If we took a higher road. Breathed ... 

You can stop reading here but my walk continued and you're welcome to join me for the rest of the read ...  Almost done. 

My walk continued and it took me to the backstreets next to the Yampa River. A bike/sidewalk winds it's way undulating alongside the river.  Looking down on the sidewalks were paintings of how to care more responsibily for the environment. They were obviouly done by local youth (BTW, don't pour paint down the sewer drains!). Across the river I could hear skate board kids rolling and jumping the various ramps and rails on the skate park. A little further down, a young girl, lost in her thoughts, was sitting on a rock next to the river. More sidewalk art that would make the Earth proud of its occupants of only we all were equally as proactive with our kindness toward the earth. On the corner a park where families from the many nations picniced and played on really awesome playground equipment. 

Often, we can think that when we're done with this life we can look forward to heaven (and we can, but why wait). Jesus' calls us to seek the kingdom of heaven, and he truly meant in this life, and it always seem to surround loving kind-filled moments that he was initiating or sharing through parables. In our all too consumer world, it's not tied to the golden rule of treating others how we would wish to be treated. Rather it is having no stipulations or restrictions on how and who we will meet and greet along the way. Not everyone is sold on Jesus, that's kind of why I like the Kerouac quote, he reminds us that we can find heaven right here on earth if we just practice kindness ... all day ... everyday. 

           (Me andy son, photo creds to Jacki)