Helping to Write the Next Chapter

On a recent trip, I bought an audio book to listen to while I drove. I got very interested in the book, but eventually made it home and had to stop listening.  I headed to the sewing room yesterday and decided to continue listening to the book.  Unfortunately, iTunes had not kept track of where I was at in the book and I was left to try to figure it out.  I started close to where I thought I had left off, but it didn’t make sense.  It seems that I missed part of the story.  Life is like that too.

From the time we are born, our story is being written. The other people that we encounter become the characters, our circumstances become the background, and both the decisions that we make and the decisions that others make create the drama. What I have found is that sometimes when we don’t know the previous chapters in someone’s story, we don’t understand where they are at now.  If we knew that one of the chapters in someone’s book included abuse, could we understand why the part of the story that we see involves distrust?  If we knew that one of the chapters in someone’s book included burying someone that they loved more than anyone else in the world, could we understand why sometimes there are tearstains on their pages?  If we knew that someone’s story had falling in love, could we understand why their pages weren’t written with a jaded and cynical pen?

Everyone’s story is different and how it continues is affected by previous chapters.  It is important to remember that for everyone we meet, we become part of their story.  The challenge is to be the character that will create a storyline of love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.  That can make the next chapter so much better.

Think beyond yourself

I have seen something similar to this in the past, but I think that those of us in the Williston area especially, need a reminder to look beyond ourselves right now.

We are living in changing times.  Our area has had a great influx of people from all over the country.  Our region has given them a glimmer of hope in a national economy that has resulted in desperation. As we go throughout our day, try to think about those you come in contact with and how you treat them, because maybe….just maybe….

That family holding a sign asking for help just spent the last money that they had to buy food.  A month ago, they were fine.  Now they are trying to figure out how to survive.  The nice vehicle that they have is one of the remnants of their former existence.

That lady that you were rude to in the aisle with Christmas decorations is trying to figure out how to make the camper that her family is living in a little more festive.  This is their first Christmas without a house to decorate.

That teenager that you became impatient with at the checkout line is thinking about how he is going to get his homework done during his break because he has to work until 11:00 tonight.  There aren’t enough workers so he is working an 8 hour shift everyday right after school.

The woman you honked at because you didn’t think she was driving fast enough was fighting back tears at the thought of spending Christmas alone for the first time this year and was trying to be safe.

That young lady at the fast food joint that you yelled at because she messed up your order gives her paycheck to her parents to help cover the rent. 

The overweight girl that you made fun of at the store was buying things to kill herself because she can’t handle the teasing anymore.

The man that you looked down on because he was dirty just finished a long shift on the rigs.  This is his only chance to buy something to send to his kids.  He doesn’t know when he’ll get to see them again because he can’t find a place for them to live.

The young lady that you called a slut knows that when she gets home, there is someone there waiting to sexually abuse her…again.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Leo Buscaglia

Do Unto Others

Luke 6:31 says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” I’ve always heard this verse used when someone was exhorting another person to treat others more kindly. Recently though, I had opportunity to see this verse put into practice from a different angle.

A colleague of mine was having a bad day. As is my usual custom, I was telling her how incredibly amazing my kids are. I told her that I was going to contact some of them and ask them to text her some words of encouragement. Over the next hour or so, she would seek me out to share the latest text message. Her day was brightened. She became puzzled however, at the motivation of the kids. Only Corey and Crystal had the opportunity to work with her in high school. I told her that their motivation was probably due partly because they hoped that when I was having a rough day someone would extend to me the same kind of kindness. To stretch the verse a bit; the kids did to others as they hoped someone would do to me.
I also learned that even though kindness doesn’t always get returned, you should be kind anyway. Over the past month or so, I have tried to be a source of encouragement to another person. I’ve shared Bible verses, prayer, and words of encouragement. On a recent rough day, I reached out and asked for encouragement from them, but got nothing in return. I have to admit that I was disappointed by their response or lack thereof. I still need to be that encouraging word to them. I need to “do to them, even if they don’t do unto me.”