Living It Dare #7
Friday May 1, 2009 | (0) Comments | jwaugh
I remember my Mom’s instruction when I was going out the door for an activity or a visit to a friend’s home – “BE NICE!” Those are two little words that have been lost in our society. Next time you take a walk, notice how many people keep their heads down as they pass by—no eye contact, no greeting—you stay in your world, and I will stay in mine.
Deborah and I walk frequently, and in our travels, side by side, we meet others coming toward us. Over the years, we have tried a few different experiments with people. We have counted how many actually make eye contact and how many speak without being spoken to first. Here are the results: very few make eye contact, and only once in a blue moon will someone speak first (very scientific).
People coming toward us also believe they own the sidewalk. A normal sidewalk will allow three people to walk side-by-side. So when two individuals are approaching, I usually duck behind Deborah to allow the others to pass with ease. But we have tried this experiment: I don’t move over until the other person retreats first. Call it a game of chicken; collisions have occurred. I am amazed at the idea of entitlement that permeates our culture. “My rights outweigh your rights, and therefore you are the one that should move over.”
Living It Dare #7 – Say “Hi” to everyone you meet. Open the door for others, and say, “Hi.” Make eye contact with everyone and say, “Hi”—at the grocery store, on a walk, at work, at worship, at school. Take my Mom’s advice and BE NICE.
Count how many people respond to your gesture of good will. Why this dare? Because if we really look at our lives, most of us have a tendency to get caught up in the ‘Entitlement Game.’ I pray that if we are being rude, crude or socially unacceptable, this dare can break some of our old habits.
As my Mom says, “BE NICE.”
Love you all,
James
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:3-6).
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