Do you know who Theodor Geisel is? He is better known as Dr. Seuss, a prolific and wonderful author of children's literature.
I thought I would use this newsletter to share some of his wisdom with you. For example, he said, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." God created us to be unique and special individuals. The Bible says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14). It's true; there is no one alive who is youer than you!
Here's one about romantic love: "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." It seems to me that he is describing a Christian marriage. As a youth, I remember praying that God would lead me to the right woman who would become my wife. Little did I know that the wife I married forty-two years ago (Peggy) was asking God to lead her to the right man at the same time. Ours truly was a marriage that was made in Heaven.
Dr. Seuss wrote, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Here, the wise author is telling children to be honest and genuine about expressing their feelings. This is so important. Dr. Carl Rogers, a famous psychologist, said that the four core dimensions of an effective relationship are genuineness, warmth, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. I agree with his premise.
This is a particularly poignant Dr. Seuss quote: "I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me!" Isn't that great? The message is that we don't have to be victims of the guilt of the past or the fear of the future. We can conquer them. The Bible says, "Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Let's determine that our troubles will have trouble with us, because we refuse to give in to them. Our "bat" is the Word of God.
Here's a final quote for your consideration: "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one." You can't beat that approach to life. It reflects both a positive attitude and a belief that the best is yet to come.
Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for sharing your wisdom with us. You made life so much better for children and adults all over the world. You made us laugh, think, grow, and love. You made the world a better place for all of us.
