The Power of One Loving Heart

“One loving heart sets another on fire.” - Saint Augustine

We make choices every day that directly impact the people around us, loved ones and strangers alike. Choices in our actions, our reactions, the words we use, the attitudes we carry. Every choice has a result, be it positive or negative, and that result ripples out like a pebble striking the surface of a lake. We will never be able to see the far-reaching effects of our choices, but that makes them no less a reality.

And so, at the dawn of this new week, may we choose now what kind of impact we will have on the world around us.

May we choose to love.

May we choose to forgive.

May we choose to offer grace instead of bitterness and patience instead of demanding.

May we look strangers in the eye and offer them a warm smile.

May we express our admiration of and appreciation for our loved ones.

May we recognize the pain that each person carries and extend compassion and comfort.

May we slow down. Listen. Lean in.

Choosing these things will directly impact the people around us, loved ones and strangers alike. Through these actions, reactions, words, and attitudes we will create ripple effects of love, of kindness, of compassion, of community, the far-reaching effects of which we will never fully know but will be real nonetheless. And through our choice to love, we will set other hearts ablaze with love.

It begins with a choice. Each moment at a time.

Choose wisely and then set the world on fire, one heart at a time.