On the Brighter Side: Pass it on

On the Brighter Side: Pass it on

We remember the phrase . . . Pass It On, right? If you are like me, I haven’t heard this for a while. Maybe at Christmas time, I will hear of someone paying for someone’s meal that are behind them in the “to go” line at a fast food restaurant.

I think we are known to be more of a people with a declaring me nature than a loving, kind and encouraging nature. It is so much easier for me to declare to someone about my day, my concerns, my kids, my cooking abilities, (or lack thereof), even my grand dogs, than to sit and listen to someone else’s day, their concerns, their children their successes.

This past month has weighed heavily on my heart and mind. I am sure you have felt the same way. So much turmoil, so much unrest and so much anger being thrown around in our country, in our community in our homes.

Has all this come about because each of us are more concerned about our own declarations? Do we give little thought to reaching out to others and giving them our time, a little kindness and let us not forget a dose of encouragement?

Or have we drifted slowly away and eventually when our declarations are not being met we become a “bridezilla” of sorts? Or maybe a Philadelphia Phillies baseball fan, demanding to be given back a home run baseball from a little boy on his birthday, that was hit on her side!! Did that really happen??!!

Wait! Is there even a brighter side to all of this? How about . . . let’s keep our eyes off of declaring myself and think of ways we can begin today to be an encouragement for a friend and even to a stranger!

Priscilla Shirer, Christian author and speaker, tells the story of waiting in line at an ATM. It was hot that afternoon and she felt the line was too long, too slow and she had a list a mile long of things that she had to get done . . . yesterday.

Then she heard way down the line, a mother with two little ones that were fussy and whiny as they were also waiting. Priscilla sarcastically thought to herself, “Wow, I sure understand! I feel like whining to someone. I wonder if the Mom wants me to add to her confusion and frustration to hear about My day?!”

Then all of a sudden a woman who was second in line to use the ATM turned to the Mother, “please let’s trade places.”

The Mother, without a pause, gratefully said thank you, thank you, as they traded places in line.

Priscilla thought to herself, “Are you kidding? What just happened?? I could have done that. But noooo, I was too concerned about my day that it didn’t even cross my mind to help someone out.”

What a powerful message for herself, she would go on to explain. What a powerful message for each of us!

Let’s not live like we want to pronounce curses on people; may you grow warts on your nose on your wedding day, or may your child wear horrible, rotten, smelly socks to school, may you get in the wrong line at the grocery store . . . forever!

Let us choose Pass It On today. Let us declare joy! Let us give encouraging moments to others, let us not think in curses but in peace. Let us not wait until Christmas!

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Susan Baker is a columnist for The Maryville Forum.