Are You Part of a Chain Reaction?

Domino chain reaction

Some people have a lot of fun setting up pieces of a game called dominoes into a long, long line with each piece perfectly facing the next one. This could take hours upon hours, or even days in some cases. Then, when the construction is completely done and ready for excitement, one tiny push of the first domino and the entire winding chain creates a reaction of falling one on top of the other. Lily Hevesh took two days to build her 15,524 piece domino world record. Amazing! Check her YouTube video by clicking here: Amazing Record 

People also can create "a series of events that are related to each other that each one initiates the next." In other words, it only takes one person to do something right--or wrong--and a whole chain reaction happens whether we want it to or not. There are no coincidences in life. We can not walk this life day by day and not affect someone else by what we do or say. 

Crossing Paths

Every day we run into people we know or even perfect strangers because their presence was meant to cross our path for a reason. For instance, maybe this morning we got up and our day started out badly. The can of coffee is empty so we have none to make. The cat threw up all over the kitchen floor and we stepped in it. And the car won't start. Ever have a morning like that? 

Chain reactions occur in chemistry, nuclear reactions, and unfortunately, vehicle accidents every day. In our everyday lives, however, we can enjoy much of what happens to us depending on our attitudes. Look at it this way: we are all interconnected and overlapping. Just as we are trying to get that car started, the new neighbor (we have not met yet) shows up with jumper cables. We introduce ourselves and begin talking. Now we find out our cat got out of the house while we were cleaning up her mess in the kitchen and the neighbor was trying to find the cat's owner as he discovered it in his yard. 

It Doesn't End There

God's Galaxy

We may have never noticed, but daily chain reactions happen all the time: "a number of events triggered by the same initial event." The world even began that way. In six days, God created one piece of the world at a time and each one affected the next. The day became night, waters were separated and sky and land appeared. All of this led to the creation of vegetation, stars, and creatures/animals. When everything was "good," God created two more perfect beings: "male and female" and named them Adam and Eve. 

This is a beautiful story but it doesn't end there. God also gave human beings "free will." And so, the first human beings chose to eat what they should have left alone. They wanted to do things their way. And because of that event, another chain reaction began and continues to this day. 

We have choices to make every single day of our lives. Will we say a kind word to someone to brighten their day or a sarcastic remark that will make their day worse? Can we drop what we are doing to help a stranger or will we remain in our selfishness? Can we give generously or hoard our possessions? All of these types of events will cause a good or unfortunate chain reaction. It's up to us just like Adam and Eve. 

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1 NLT).

"Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came marking the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31 NLT).

He wisely rested on the seventh day. And we are stronly encouraged to do the same!