Make your mess your message

Barbara Walters named Robin Roberts one of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013. Yesterday morning at the Vatican Roberts was visably moved after hearing THE POPE’S Christmas message and then not only having the Pope pray for her, but having the Pontiff ask her to keep Him in her prayers. This is a respost of a blog inspired by the inspirational Robin Roberts. The message seems even more appropriate during the holidays. It is what makes us special. It’s a message we each should carry with us all year long.

      Last night,  Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for courage at the 2013 ESPY Awards.     Shedding tears Robin gave a heartfelt inspirational speech. Her acceptance speech wasn’t just a mere thank you she gently nudged us all to take the mess in our lives and do something positive with it. 5 little words that could change our life, our communities, our world if we all did it for one day.

Treyvon Martin’s parents took the mess they must have felt after the George Zimmerman verdict and turned it into a message of peace. They could have remained silent and watched as other parents lost their children in riots, or to jail cells protesting what many feel was an unjust verdict. Instead Treyvon’s parents made their heartbreak a call for peace, a plea to change laws not a call to arms. How many lives were saved by those few words?

Inspired by the movie “Pay It Forward” people everywhere began to pay small acts of kindness forward. For most people “pay it forward” was a fleeting phase.  Still there are angels in our community who took that simple phrase and began to change their life and the lives of others.  My friend’s husband pays it forward all the time. Recently he paid for a bride’s beauty services after hearing the young lady say she was getting married the following morning. Neither the bride, nor my friend knew her husband had been so gracious until after both had completed their beauty treatments and were ready to leave. This same man has paid for fast food of the car behind him as well as people’s groceries in line. Our mother’s always tell us never judge a book by it’s cover. This couldn’t be more true in this man’s case. At first glance many are intimidated by his size. His deep voice is gruff and many just assume he is mean. Yet this man and his wife open their hearts and pay it forward as often as they have the opportunity to do so. Small acts of kindness to someone you don’t know and will probably never see again.

Today I’m going to make my mess my message, and I’m also going to pay my good fortune forward. We all have mess and baggage so we all can turn something in our life into a message. Will any one join me?