Monday; December 3

For those of us who are a little bit older, probably the most familiar quote by George H. W. Bush is, “I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”.  This seemly personal and innocent comment created a lot of family arguments and even more political humor.  While President Bush is often remembered as a being a civil politician, one of the things that I liked about him was his ability to be an inspiration for doing good.  In his inauguration address in 1989 the new president promised, “I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.”.  While history will be ultimate judge on how his legacy and presidency will rate in community service, at least he encouraged us to do better to our fellow man.
Centuries before President Bush challenged people to be points of lights Jesus instructed His disciples, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).  In a world that desperately needs some positive influences let’s light the way for the rest of the world by doing good.  When enough of us commit to being lights, the world will not seem quite as dark!
          Think About It!

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