Paying it Forward
By Cynthia Lee
The reason I am writing this is because in my line of work I have noticed something. Society is no longer paying it forward. What I mean by that is we have all gotten ourselves into the daily grind of being all about our own business and neglecting others needs.
What happened to doing good deeds and consideration of others just to be a blessing?
Why do we have to always focus on the negative? Why do we rejoice so much in someone else’s downfall? Why are we jealous when a coworker gets promoted or something good happens to someone we know? What is wrong with a sincere “congratulations?” I know that, from my own personal observations, with most of the people I am around and deal with, that they just love it when something negative happens to someone? Always so eager to spread the negative gossip and tell as many in a day as possible about someone else’s suffering and misery.
Why do we tend to remember the negative things about someone and shut out the good things about them? It’s like going to a new place that just opened up to eat. If it was a wonderful meal you might go and tell about three or four of your friends, but if the service was terrible and the meal was lame you would be telling every person you knew, or came in contact with, for a week how awful it was. It is just sad to me that this is such a true statement. We are human, we certainly are not perfect and trust me, we will definitely make plenty of mistakes. So why sweat it?
If each and every person would just take a minute and think about a spouse, coworker, friend, parent, etc. someone that seems to get on your nerves. Just see if you can, at least, write down or remember ten things you like about them or ways they make you smile. Focus on the list for a few minutes each day. Think about funny memories and fun times you have together. See if it begins to change your outlook at all. Perhaps when you are at work and a coworker is getting complained on by someone or in trouble for something and everyone is talking about them, don’t join in. Either do not say anything or just try to simply say, “Well we all make mistakes.” God’s word says that the tongue is like a double-edged sword. We can really cut people down and change their whole spirit with just the power of a few words. You have no idea sometimes the hurt in people they are hiding and things going on in their lives, for you to pass judgment on them. This is an inward struggle for me to remember sometimes as well.
The same thing goes with your outward personality. How about when you see someone leaving a grocery store and they have their hands full. How about trying to get the door for them? Wouldn’t you be mad if your hands were full and someone let the door shut in your face?
You know the bible says we will reap every single thing we sow. What will you reap? What are some of the things people would remember you for if you left the world today? We ALL have some negative in us. You can’t please everyone or course. But what would the overall opinion be of your life and how you lived it? Overall would your friends say “she/he was an awesome person?” or would they say “you made others miserable because you lived a miserable life and was angry all of the time?”
Lets start paying things forward doing good for each other and, at least, try to be uplifting to one another. Be supportive and understanding or at least try. Put yourself in their shoes for a change. Yes, we will make dumb decisions. Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will bring things on ourselves sometimes. You just have got to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. That’s what Gods grace is there for. Last question: whether you believe in God or not (I do) so when you die and have to stand face to face with Our Heavenly Father, what would HE say about your life?
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