The town that I’m from every year has a tradition going back to the early 1920s. It’s called “La Fiesta Pequena,” or in English, the small party.
“Fiestas,” as locals call it, happen every year during the first week of August. Basically the whole town has a party for five days straight. Everywhere you go there’s dancing, good food, carnivals and of course hundreds of confetti eggs. People take “Fiestas” so seriously that at the beginning of the work year they make sure to ask for that week off.
To sum it up – It’s a big deal! Yet behind all the loud Spanish guitars playing everywhere and the laughter and yells of the people, there’s a deeper message to “Fiestas” that makes them so special. “Fiestas” are about celebrating community. It’s a week that the town sets aside to come together to pray, dance and eat as a family.
In reflecting on this I couldn’t help but smile when thinking about the word “family.” I mean, what is ‘family?’ Yeah, I know, you may be thinking this is pretty obvious. But if we go below the surface we can see that family isn’t just a group of people who are blood related. It’s so much more than that. On a global level, we are all family! We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. God made us for a special purpose! And that purpose is to love. In fact, this year’s theme is “Celebrating La Familia!”
During “Fiestas,” everyone shares food, blankets, chairs and conversation with random people they don’t even know. Through this I’ve seen countless friendships being made because of love for ones fellow neighbor. Why can’t we take “Fiestas” and apply it to the rest of the 360 days of our lives? If we did this, and loved on those outside of our “real” family (treating each other with respect and love) our world would be so much closer to world peace.
Rojo: “Because we all have God as our Father, we should be able to love those who we don’t even know – even if they are half way around the world. It may sound like a daunting task, but just think for a minute.”(Sonery, iStockphoto/ Thinkstock)
Because we all have God as our Father, we should be able to love those who we don’t even know – even if they are half way around the world. It may sound like a daunting task, but just think for a minute. Like I said, if we look around, we have so much more family than we think we do- and loving them like family is a lot easier than you could imagine. I believe that there are truly some small ways that we can spread the love.
THE 5 SMALL WAYS YOU CAN HELP BRING WORLD PEACE
Here are five ways for you to spread the love. Through reading them, I hope that you realize that even the seemingly smallest acts of kindness can greatly positively change not only your life, but also bring peace and happiness to those around you.
1. Smile
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Every time you smile at someone, it’s an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” We never know how greatly a simple smile can impact someone’s life. You can truly share God’s love with everyone you meet with just one smile. Maybe the next time you see a homeless person lonely on the street you can smile at them; let them know they are somebody who is loved.
2. Say ‘Thank You’
Gratitude is something that is constantly under-rated. This world tends to only gratify those who walk the red carpet or wear nice close and drive expensive cars. However, the true heroes are those who make a difference in our lives through their hard work and dedication to make this world a better place. These are our school teachers, parents, bus drivers, janitors, the list goes on. These “every-day people” are actually extraordinary people who are over-looked. I challenge you to thank these people next time you see them. Maybe it can be through a note or actually going up and expressing your appreciation to their face. Either way, your gratitude will make all the difference in these peoples’ lives.
3. Strike Up A Conversation
It’s amazing how just talking to someone can make a positive impact on his or her life. As humans we tend to get lonely and hold our problems in. Sometimes we’re just waiting for someone to ask us how we’re doing to just alleviate some pain. I encourage you to ask a stranger how they’re doing today. Maybe you’ll just get a ‘Fine, and yourself?’ But trust me, the fact that you cared to even ask made a huge impact!
4. Share
Do you remember in elementary school how great it felt when your friend shared their delicious lunch snack with you? Or when your classmate let you use their brand new crayons. I know when this happened to me, I was on cloud nine. Not only did their act of kindness make my day, we were able to form strong friendships over something so simple. Well now that you’re older, the same applies. Share with those around you! Maybe give your co-worker half of your sandwich, let your neighbor borrow your gardening tools or share your time and help that person from church you don’t know clean out their garage. Whatever it may be, like the cliché saying goes, “Sharing is caring.” And Caring goes a long way!
5. Pray!
The power of prayer is amazing! I know I can attest to many times in my life where prayer has healed and been the only way to get me through the day. We always pray for people we know, but what about praying for people we don’t know? Take some time each day to pray for those around the world who are not as fortunate as we are. Friends, prayer is powerful and if we all took the time to pray for one another our lives will become dramatically changed. I believe the only way we will ever be able to fully have peace in our world and in our lives is prayer. God is love. We can spread his love and peace through prayer.
Remember…
Be peace. Be love. Be a living prayer that will change the world for God.
Remember, we are all one family that longs for love. It’s the small things that make a big impact. I hope you can take some of these tips and apply them to your everyday life. Bring a “Fiesta” to your community and see how love changes everything.
Viva La Familia!
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