The Golden Rule part 4
Charity starts at home, am I right? Mother Teresa said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." That is the place we have the most influence. Those are the people who are affected most by what we say and do. Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the time we give our family whatever we have left. We have all these other responsibilites--work, whatever--and we give those things our best. And, listen, I'm not saying to neglect your other responsibilities. I'm saying it's important to have balance. It's important to have your priorities straight. You've probably heard the saying, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." When the family dynamic is off it affects everybody. What does this have with the Golden Rule? With treating people the way you want to be treated? Everything! Because it's almost like we think the Golden Rule only applies to the people at work. Or random strangers. Like, we'll pay for the people behind us in the McDonald's drive through, but then get home and yell at our kids. Or take out a stressful day on our spouse. And, yes, I do believe your relationship should be a safe place where you can vent if you need to vent. But there's a way to do that without harming the person you're venting to. There's a way to do that in a positive, productive way. I think I've mentioned before that when I had a basketball hoop in the driveway I used to go shoot free throws when I was going through something. Which, by the way, was a lot of the time. Life comes at you fast. We're all almost always going through something. We need those coping skills. And we need those people in our lives that have our backs no matter what. Also known as family. Or friends, which my kid once defined as "family that you choose." So here's what I'm trying to say today: If something (or someone) is important to you... you take care of it. You don't use it and abuse it. Because I whole heartedly believe that if you push someone, one of two things will happen. 1. They will fall over. 2. They will push back. And I have a feeling that you don't really want either of those things to happen. Or, if you do, you need to reevaluate. If your goal is to steamroll someone so you can get what you want from them... well... you need a new goal. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Give kindness--not in order to try to get it, but because you probably know what it's like to not have it. I think the idea of empathy, or putting yourself in someone else's shoes, is so vitally important to really being able to experience this abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God (that is HIS life of love) to the fullest. Loving people the way THEY need to be loved. Not doing for someone what you wish someone would do for you. But getting to know them so you can do for them what THEY wish someone would do for them. And, again, it starts at home. It starts with the people you see on a daily basis. Taking care of the needs of those that God has put you in authority over (kids), or in relationship with (spouses, or signifigant others). And when it starts at home, it can move forward from there. If you get your day off to a good start, you can let that momentum carry forward. You can take the ball and run with it. You can love the people in your house, and then love the people outside of it!