<\/p>\n
\u201cInside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that\u2019s where you renew your springs that never dry up\u201d (Pearl Buck).<\/p>\n
NONE OF US HAS ENOUGH INNER STRENGTH TO LAST A LIFETIME. We simply can\u2019t make it. If we are to keep going and reach the end of life with our integrity intact, we must be \u201crenewed\u201d fairly often. And this process must take place deep inside of us \u2014 in that place where, as Pearl Buck said, we \u201clive all alone.\u201d Physical renewal is important, as is emotional renewal, but even more important is a thing that may be called character renewal<\/em>. The choices we\u2019ve made in the past concerning our principles, our values, and our conduct will \u201cdry up\u201d if they\u2019re not refreshed, improved, and strengthened.<\/p>\n There is little excuse for not tending to our renewal. We are surrounded by resources to prompt us and help us. The world of nature is the most obvious one, of course. Even the casual observation of the land, the sea, and the heavens tends to have a refreshing effect on us. Indeed, natural things are so powerful that if we had regular contact with them, our renewal would almost take care of itself. But there are many other things that should have a similar effect: friends, books, music, and laughter are just a few. If we interact with these things attentively and mindfully, we\u2019ll find ourselves being rejuvenated. Our outlook will be refurbished and our energy replenished \u2014 but we have to take time for these things, and that\u2019s not always easy.<\/p>\n The people who have the greatest impact for good in our world are those who see themselves as being \u201cnew.\u201d Like anyone else, they reach the point of exhaustion from time to time, but unlike others, they make a point of regularly starting over. They know how to turn a fresh page and begin writing something new. And as the years go by, they feel themselves getting \u201cnewer\u201d rather than \u201colder.\u201d<\/p>\n If we\u2019re not doing what these people do, we need to be reminded that the only alternative to renewal is decay. For human beings, there is no middle ground. Either we\u2019re developing or we\u2019re deteriorating. And those around us, especially our loved ones, would dearly love to see us developing! They would be delighted to know that our inner light is growing stronger and brighter as time goes by.<\/p>\n \u201cWe die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason\u201d (Dag Hammarskj\u00f6ld).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n