A country song about life

"And I never wanted nothing more..." Great words from a great country artist, a man who seems to grasp so much of life and yet still search for contentedness. Kenney Chesney is still single, has not really committed to any particular lifestyle beyond being a major country music writer and star, and yet that does not stop him from possessing wisdom. And I am thankful every day he comes on the radio and shares it with the world. His work is profit-driven of course, but I think there is more to it than that. If we really get a hold on what we are talented at, we can do it, and with some tweaking, make a profit at it and live a financially successful life. The reality that we are doing what we love will drive us to personal success and wisdom as well.

Well, I have not yet found what that is for me, but listening to talk radio and country music over the past couple of months has sure helped me get a better grasp on what's most important in life. We first have to find a means to provide for our existence. No one of us asks to be born, but we are here, and this is both a great gift, and at times a great burden. Because to be here means that we have to live, we have to contribute, or we will not survive; or at least that's the way it should be for all men and women who are capable of contributing. We must be prudent in this so that our contributions to the world, will not only help the world grow, but will also help us to grow. If we are stagnant in what we do it will reflect on every aspect of our lives. Once we have found this, then we are capable of providing for a family, doing good works; living a life for Christ in whatever capacity we choose. We must recognize the importance of contributing, but also realize that it is only a means to an end. Why did the first immigrants to this country farm the land? Because they had to to in order for their family to survive. We have moved so far away from that reality now. Careers are now viewed as more important than building a strong family. Work consumes the life of the worker, rather than the worker consuming the fruits of his work. Let us not forget that what are most important; bigger than any career or job, are our relationships with one another, and principally with our own family.

Search well for your career and vocation, for it will be your livelihood, but remember too that despite the greater amount of time that you will spend working, this time must drive you to spend greater quality time with the ones you love. Would that we could all find our individual niche, for then we could experience joy approaching that which we someday hope to experience in heaven, and "never want nothing more."

For evil to flourish...

What do the good men do in the United States of America? Well, often those of us who have been so fortunate as to have been raised in a home where morals are upheld, and good consciences are formed are sent off the wonderful blessing of education. We often become idealistic, and believe the world can be broken down into good and bad and there should not be too many problems in distinguishing these; strangely maybe, since we surmise this in a sheltered world, that this is true. There are black and white issues that need to be addressed as such. Yes, there is plenty of gray in the world as well and it needs to be considered, but the problem arises when the gray prevents us from taking action in the pursuit of the good. Anything that we have learned to be good can be twisted; if it be by a crooked politician, an agenda-driven instructor, or a misguided parent; and we have to realize this, and understand that this is evil trying to worm it's way in. The Devil is very much alive in this world, and he works through imperfect human beings to try and foil the Lord's desire, which is that we would freely choose to love and serve Him, and that this love would show in the works that we do on this earth.

Once we realize that evil can find its way into anyone's mind, even our own, we understand that we can rely on our conscience, we can rely on those around us who live lives of goodness and charity to show us the truth; that a degree of goodness can be realized in this world. Hence we who understand this truth must not stop at this conclusion. For to rid the world of evil, we have to separate it from those who perpetrate this evil. Unfortunately, man can be dominated by the absence of good, by a desire for harm; but in most cases man is misguided or confused by the imperfect lives he has lead, and so we need to be able to separate the "actor" from the "act", and the "evil" from the person. Man can be freed from evil. He can convert, learn, understand and recognize truth. However in the world of today, he is often not presented with such an opportunity. Thus it is to us to speak the truth that we learn from the Almighty and from the good in the community that surrounds and nurtures us; for if we do nothing, then nothing will stand in the way of the spread of evil. For to complete the quote that heads this post, "All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."


And what good can we do? We may not be the best speakers, or even conversationalists to be able to share the truth. But we all do have a gift. As Matthew Kelly describes in his "Rhythm of Life" we all have an ability to do one particular thing better than anyone else in the world, and our lives are a quest to find that gift, talent, or skill; and then to use it. We can call this self-actualization. Whatever you are best at can contribute, and if you have any doubts, consider this: it is not what we do, but how we do it. Do everything with integrity, courage, and prudence, and you will show that you stand for what is good and true. When the opportunity arises to discuss the issues of our day, I would hope that we could all stand up on the side of what is good and right, but this is difficult and not all of us may be capable of confronting, or enduring a confrontation. But it is how we live and what we do in the interest of what is good and right that prevents evil from flourishing. Yes relationships are important and good, but would we not take the chance of losing one in the hope that someone may see the truth? For if successful, how much stronger and more powerful might that relationship be?

Be strong my friends. Strengthen your belief in what is good, live it, learn to stand up for it; evil does not stand a chance!

What's next?

Living life to the fullest means times of uncertainty, at least in my situation. For some life has a path, that must be followed to the very end, which of course is death, and for them this is satisfaction. For others, life must always be changing; moving with the ebb and flow of life, and the energy that surges in us one day and leaves us vacant the next. I hope to somehow find a happy medium between the two, because the security of the first appeals to me, but then again the latter is who I truly am, maybe a revelation to me, but to you all who know me so well, just a reiteration of what you always knew! Knowing this more fully now, I know that the future must hold a little bit of everything. I do not think I want to work for a company for a number of years and then get married, retire and live out my life taking cruises. No, I would prefer not to retire; to work for the money I earn, to gain as many experiences possible along the way, and to live out who I am most fully in the vocation I choose. I have so many thoughts from day to day that constantly lead me away from settling down, that lead me to travel, try new things, conquer new mountains, and the thought of buying a home, though appealing, just does not fit in the picture right now. I have a wonderfully loving family who is willing to put up with me, but then again have I worn out my welcome? I am 22 years old, fast coming up on 23, with a college education, all the skills and God-given talents, values and morals that have allowed me to live a free and amazingly blessed life up to this point. And yet we come to a crux, or more appropriately deemed, a point on a line that has yet to take up a new direction. I believe this line must ultimately lead to a more clearly defined area in which I will find the career and vocation that most clearly allows me to actualize as a person. Yet I also know that finding this to perfection is next to impossible in this fallen world in which we live. Still, I seek, and hope to find, knock on as many doors I can, until the next one opens. Just waiting now for a sign, or a twinge of the heart as to which door that might be...