Letter 4538

I sought to enter the room without being noticed, yet I swiftly found myself in conversation.

I tried to walk lightly, and leave no trace behind, yet the grass blades bent and even the hardscape held footprints.

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If I am to exist, I will make an impression on the world around me. What traces, then, shall I leave?

Let me take care of the manner in which I walk.

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Consider:

Can I be mindful of the impact I am making, even when I feel inconsequential?

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Reading:

❖ “Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance,” Essays: First Series (1841)

❖ “Their gifts multiply by our care for them, and dwindle from our neglect.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass (2013)

❖ “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” — Matthew 7:16 (KJV)

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Thank you for reading. If this helped you today, please consider sharing it.

~B.R.

Letter 4537

One neighbor has an unruly yard into which I see easily. Another neighbor tends to their grounds daily and is an example of industry.

From whom do I learn?

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Sitting in devotion, trying to draw near to you, Lord — my chores beckon. Yet what could be more important than my time with you, even as the weeds grow in the cracks between pavers that reach my doorstep?

Let me learn to recognize my teachers, Lord.

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Consider:

Can I devote more energy to seeking you today?

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Reading:

❖ “If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” — Kahlil Gibran, “On Teaching,” The Prophet (1923)

❖ “This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.” — Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart (1997), Chapter 3

❖ “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” — Proverbs 27:17 (KJV)

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Thank you for reading. If this helped you today, please consider sharing it.

~B.R.

Letter 4536

I walked up the mountain path, higher, higher toward the summit. The light around me changed in character — warm yellows around my home, bright, cool blue at upper altitudes.

The strength of the light up there was overwhelming. Yet as much as I was vanquished, I also was filled with life.

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Now, descending back to my home and nearby village, I offer new strength to those I meet. The battle with light left me more alive than before.

I have more to give, Lord. Let me give.

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Consider:

Can I give thanks to your overwhelming force?

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Reading:

❖ “The first sight of the Alps, with the setting sun on them, as we descended the Jura, seemed to me like an entrance into heaven.” — George Eliot, The Lifted Veil (1859)

❖ “Enveloped in Your Light, may I be a beacon to those in search of Light.” — Rabbi Rami Shapiro, in June Cotner, Pocket Prayers

❖ “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

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Thank you for reading. If this helped you today, please consider sharing it.

~B.R.

Letter 4535

On a long march, I encountered a stranger. They had been walking for days. None might have predicted we would meet, for our paths only crossed at this juncture. I had been delayed the prior day; our chance meeting was thus unplanned.

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Somehow we each stopped our walking. They shared the details of their journey. I did the same. I learned what the days were like at their village. I shared the news from ours.

My lone march became a joint effort, just for that moment.

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Consider:

Can I be open to the unexpected today?

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Reading:

❖ “We have a great deal more kindness than is ever spoken.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Friendship,” Essays: First Series (1841)

❖ “Conversation is the way humans naturally think together.” — Margaret J. Wheatley, Turning to One Another (2002)

❖ “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” — Hebrews 13:2 (KJV)

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Thank you for reading. If this helped you today, please consider sharing it.

~B.R.