Chuck’s World

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. — Hebrews 10:24-25

One of my favorite musicals is Man of La Mancha. In this story you meet a loony Spanish gentleman, Don Quixote, who thinks he is an honored knight, when in fact he is nothing of the sort. In this musical Don Quixote meets a lowly prostitute, Aldonza. He doesn’t know she is a prostitute; he thinks she is an elegant Spanish lady, a queen. Yet Don Quixote slowly changes the entire self-concept of this prostitute by constantly, unconditionally affirming her. What is amazing about the story is, when she begins to see herself differently, she begins to act differently. He even gives her a new name, Dulcinea, so that she will ever be reminded of her new identity and her potential. She became a brand-new person.

Who is the Aldonza in your life? Who can you offer positive encouragement to? Who can you offer a belief in even when they don’t believe in themselves? In order to affirm a person’s potential, you may have to look at them with the eye of faith and treat them in terms of their potential, not their behavior.

Goethe, a famous philosopher once put this way:

“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is, treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”

Again I ask, who is the Aldonza in your life who can become a Dulcinea? Today is the day to believe in them—and give them the gift of affirmation.

This was one of the flowers, in the gardens, on the Biltmore Estate. Biltmore is one of those places where even the flowers seem to look nicer. Of course, if I had a huge staff working full-time in my yard(I don’t have a garden), it might look this good to!

I am late posting this. Hunter graduated from elementary school last week. He received the Presidents Award and made straight A’s for the year. Wow! They grow up so quickly!

First swim of the season! Hunter took our first phone pic to. Not too shabby! Those are Deb’s toes!

I got to visit my first Apple Store this week. It wasn’t the above 5th Avenue store, but it was still fun! Hopefully, I will get to go to New York again soon!