When I turned to Social Media yesterday, I was reminded that the Royals were visiting our beautiful province. Our Province’s capital city was in waiting for this monumental arrival, and crowds of dignitaries including our prime minister and premier were all on hand, as well as half of Victoria.
To be honest, I have always been fascinated by the Royals. My mother followed the Queen, and had clippings of her visits to Canada. My dad talks of a royal visit. When my children were little I followed Princess Diana, and I think there is something in every girl that wants to know a real live princess.
So I had coffee books about her, and followed her wedding and the birth of her two little boys. I felt the heartbreak when her life unraveled, and yet admired her compassionate heart. It is a princess tale with a sad ending. I see her courage and compassion in her two sons, especially William.
Most girls love a princess story…
I laugh at my little three year old granddaughter with a closet of princess dresses, she is our royalty for sure! And when she twirls with her lovely smile, we are all smitten.
We can only imagine what it is to be born into that kind of living, and I actually felt for the young couple, William and Katherine yesterday as they got off the plane, every eye on them and their two adorable children, the same age as my grandchildren. Where most normal people would be bedraggled and pooped, they were expected to look glamorous and the children behaved. Although it was quite humorous that little Prince George refused to give our Prime Minister a high five. A true three year old, I thought!
And then off to speeches and formalities, and I admired how they took time for people… genuinely listening, asking questions.
What I found appalling as I watched all of this was the news feed on my screen… there was the welcoming remarks, but there were a number of people that were spewing unkindness and rather rude remarks. Negative, hateful, jeering remarks about the events of the day. This is one side of social media I do not like. Ever.
It is one thing to have an opinion, but another to publicly vent unkind words, often about things we don’t fully understand.
It reminded me of words often preached to my children when they were little… “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all!!”
Our pastor spoke on Proverbs this morning and on the power of words. I loved the picture he used of a filter… if we are truly wise we will use a filter for our words. Are our words pure, peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy, impartial, sincere?
I enjoy Facebook and other social media for the connection I feel with family and friends, and even what I can learn from the rest of the world. But sometimes the meanness just gets to me… and I have to remember, when there is a fly in the ointment… we notice the fly!!
Still, it is good to make a choice to be kind. To be positive. To be peace-loving. To be considerate and full of mercy. To be impartial and sincere!
“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. “Proverbs 16:24
