Playing it Forward

A farm boy got a white football for Christmas.

yes, I know this is a little ahead for July, but bear with me... He played with it awhile and then kicked it over into the neighbor's yard. The old rooster ran out, looked at it, and called the hens to see it. "Now look here," the rooster said, "I don't want you girls to think I'm complaining, but I just want you to see what they are doing next door."

Ever feel stressed out with seemingly unworkable expectations.  How do you respond?  Defensive or put on the spot? And in our environment, unrealistic expectations can lead to all types of stress and strife.  While unhealthy competitiveness is usually self serving and self centered, healthy competitiveness shows it face in a strive for excellence, which is "less about me" and "more about us." Taking a look next door is helpful in the right context but footballs are not eggs! 

I love a comment on one of the local Christian Radio Stations where one of the hosts teases us into paying for the person behind us in the"drive through" when we go to pay for our order.  Chances are they weren’t even paying attention to the car in front of them and so it will come as a pleasant surprise to them.  Perhaps they will do that for the person behind them sometime.  We could start a lot of good will, perhaps the person with the surprise goes home and treats their wife or husband much better, and so the circle expands.  The kids feel good because mom and dad love each other and then go and treat their neighbor kids better.  You never know!!

Paul exemplifies this with the following compassionate advice found in Phil 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

 Blessings

Chaplain Leigh