As I sat in the peacefulness of my morning devotions, I savored the sounds of my small part of the world awakening to the
beauty of a new day. I remain forever in awe of the gift of each breath and the magic of each day. Watching the
darkness of night turn to the light of day, I was able to witness that the business of life had already begun for a squirrel
who was digging up one of my carefully planted strawberry plants. Right before my eyes that little one unearthed
something beneath the strawberry plant and carried it away. I watched from the vantage point of my front window, not
wanting to disturb this creature from their day’s work. I imagined them scurrying off to care for their squirrel babies
wherever they may be safely nested. Then came the parade of birds. First, there were the cardinals, three males in all,
then a variety of smaller birds feeding from my garden and chirping happily before flying off for their day’s activity. Then,
the final birds to arrive swooped in with a force that chased all the other birds away and claimed the garden as their
territory. They were the large black birds with tough-sounding squawks. I think they are called grackles.
And so, the day began with all of life awakening to their purpose for the day. Each part of nature instinctively knows their
role in the structure of nature. I too have a role in the cosmic mystery of life. We as humans however have a propensity
to complicate life and often struggle to claim our purpose. Today I set out with the inspiration of I Corinthians 16:14 as my
guide.
“Let all you do be done in love.”
Today, when I heard these words tumble through my mind, I was compelled by one single word of this statement. I was
seduced by the word “in”. Let all you do be done in love. Today these words speak to me in even a deeper way. Yes, do
everything in love. Do not carry on your day with a bit of love on the side. Don’t move through the tasks and interactions
of the day with love as an afterthought. Let everything you do be immersed in the power of love. Let every breath be
formed from the deepest space of your being, the place of love. Let no thought move through your mind or any word
tumble from your lips until it is bathed in the beauty of love’s grace and kindness.
Whether the thoughts and words are directed inward toward self or intended for another, let them be kind words of Truth
that affirm the divinity of all beings. Let our words call forth the goodness that uplifts ourselves as well as those whose
ears they land upon. Thinking and speaking in the power of love commands the very essence of love into existence. This
is the power of love. As Unity co-founder, Charles Fillmore says:
Love is the inner quality that sees good everywhere and in everybody.
It insists that all is good, and by refusing to see anything but good,
it causes that quality to finally appear.
“Let all you do be done in love.” Let all of our actions small and grand be soaked in the power of love. I Corinthians
13:4-7 details the admirable qualities and inspiring ways of love with these words:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-
seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
This is the love that also calls us to be responsible stewards of our thoughts, words, and actions. Our thoughts are
formative and contribute in significant ways to the experiences of our lives. Our thoughts also impact the consciousness of
the collective on an energetic level. Each thought vibrates into the ethers and forms, along with the thoughts of the
collective, our experiences. “Let all you do be done in love.”
Our words, also being formative, have the ability to lift up or tear down in a flash. The energy behind our words influences
our word’s meaning as forcefully as the webster dictionary definitions. If we speak pretty words with anger – anger is the
impact. If we speak nice words with resentment or malice, that is the impact. We are literally forming our moment-by-
moment experiences as well as the affairs of our world through the power of our thoughts and words. “Let all you do be
done in love.”
Our actions are the messages we give to our world. We begin with how we show up for ourselves. When we rise in the
morning and take our first awake breath of the day, to the way we care for our body, mind, and spirit sets the tone for how
we will also show up for our world.
We cannot be genuinely loving and kind to others unless we are loving and kind with ourselves. We cannot authentically
show compassion toward others unless we are compassionate with ourselves. We cannot nurture others unless we first
nurture ourselves emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
When our lives are fueled by the power of love, we move in our world with confidence that the universe is supporting and
upholding the highest and best not only for ourselves but for all beings. We stand firm in believing that we are drawing
good into our lives, regardless of what may appear in any particular moment. When we “Let all we do be done in love” we
live with the assurance that the Divine is present and that there is purpose and meaning in life. Be it a squirrel uprooting
my garden or the sun setting over the horizon to bid farewell to another day, all are moving with the ease and perfection of
divine order.
This tiny word “in” propelled me into a rich and inspiring conversation with the Divine. One tiny word drew me deeper into
a time of consequential contemplation emphasizing yet again the power of a single word.
Blessings,
Rev. Karen