Mine, or Yours, or Ours

Happy New Year!

On board our flight to TX, I was really sleepy and would have liked to lay back in my seat for a full nap. Then I thought about how annoying it can be when the person seated ahead of me reclines their seat. I could choose to also lean my seat back to regain the space, but then I would be impinging on the person seated behind me. I could simply say, "Someone did it to me; it's okay for me to do it too." Or I could say, "I choose not to pass on the affront,"and remain seated upright.

This line of thought brought back some of the conversation during Christmas dinner with part of our "chosen" family. Kevin, the new son-in-law, is working on his PhD in Psychology, while Sara his wife is a practicing therapist. We talked about how the tendency in dealing with children or teens who have behavioral issues is to try to "fix" them as though the problem is theirs. More often than not, the "problem child" is more like a canary taken into a mine. The small bird will be the first to succumb to bad air, alerting the human miners that they need to leave, or take measures to clear the air. Too many of us who are parents are reluctant to admit that the issue is our own, and our child is acting out to ease the family anxiety.

From here, my thought process moves out into our society where we tend to point fingers, or more, at others who are the cause, at least in our minds, of the problem. We want them to repent, or turn around, to the "right" way of thinking and acting. Then all will be well, leaving us in peace, and some prosperity. We do not want to admit that we are part of the problem, and that we too need to turn around in our thinking.

As I move into this new year 2015, I want to do a better job of owning my own part of a problem or issue, and working to become a better part of the solution. God's grace is abundant through the Spirit to help me in this, and God's mercy is more than enough to help me when I falter. Thanks be to God.

Matthew 7:3-5

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.