Have I Thought Of Anyone Today…Besides Myself?
Romans 12:10 (New King James Version)
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Today I spent the day with my mom at her job. She is a second grade school teacher at a Christian Academy. After hearing over the past few weeks about some of the events taking place at school, I was concerned, so I had promised that I would visit often and watch over her. My mother is seventy years old and up until this year really had no desire to quit, or stop teaching. As I observed the conduct of the students when she was teaching a lesson, I became concerned in a whole new way, these children seemed as if they had little respect for authority and they did not understand the importance respect or the value of learning. I watched my mother’s face and saw in her something I had never seen in all the years of volunteering in her classroom, I saw sorrow, and pain. I got up and went to the chalk board to finish the lesson for her, and to give her a moment. I saw the hurt that in all the years of her teaching this group of children seemed as if they were missing an element every other class of hers had over the almost forty years she had been teaching, desire to learn and respect. I felt her sorrow as well, and asked what was going on at home that this would manifest at school?
How often during the course of our day do we say the words I, me, or talk or make reference to “Myself;” if we are honest probably way more than we could count or care to admit. Now, how many times in a day do we look around and notice people around us? How often do we feel what they are feeling; how often are we moved with compassion by others; if we are being honest again, probably not as often as we should, if at all. We often adopt the attitude I have my own problems why should I worry about someone else’s. We are so cluttered with our thoughts about what we have going on, we do not have enough space to consider anyone else. For many of us to look around us, and be concerned with anyone but ourselves would be a stretch and be so uncharacteristic we cannot even imagine doing it, it is all about us all day every day. But is this what God does for us? Is this what God asks of us? God wants us not to become an island all to ourselves. He does not wish that we would be so consumed with us that we lose sight of those around us that need us, need a word, need a smile, need for us to hear them, be there for them, and to stand by them, in many cases as they have stood by us, to love us without condition and to care enough to stand by our words. But as long as we are esteeming ourselves higher than anyone else this will not be. It says in Mark 10:43-45, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Service should be a large part of who we are if we are following Christ. Our thoughts should always be how we can improve and make someone else’s life better, not just our own.
Today, I carried my mother, and felt her pain. I felt so moved and I wanted her to feel good about her contribution and her life’s work I brought her a dozen yellow roses, not because I had to but because I thought of her, her day, her emotions, her thoughts and her need to be loved and appreciated. Today I brought a teacher a donut for no other reason but they mentioned they wanted one. Today, I gave a ride to someone who would have otherwise walked to church from their job, simply because I knew her day was long and that walk to church from her job would be even longer. Today, my daughter was stressed, and I brought her a red rose simply to bring a smile to her face and relieve those feelings of anxiety. Today I sat and talked with my step son about some issues, because he needed someone to hear him. Today I encouraged my sister and told many friends I loved them. Today I thought of not all that is heavy on my heart, but I thought passed myself to so many others, why because God asked me to in His Word. So tell me where were your thoughts today…Tell me really how was your day?
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