How to Change Our Little Corner of the World

It is easy to get worn out by so many things in life today. Stress can certainly weigh a person down. There is a story about a college professor who brought a glass of water into the classroom and asked his students how much it weighed. Most of the answers ranged from eight to sixteen ounces.

Then the professor asked what would happen if he held the glass for a few minutes, or an hour, or even a whole day without setting it down. The answer, of course, would be that it would cause aching and increasing pain in his arm causing him physical stress.

The story is much longer with details than we are not stating here [click here to read Short Story ] but the conclusion is thought-provoking. “You should not carry the stress long enough that it begins to ache and paralyze your life. It is important to let go of your stresses. Don’t carry your stress all day and always remember to put the glass down before you go to bed!”

Five “We Can” Challenges

Good advice. Stress gets to all of us at one time or another and we agree there has been more than enough over the past year whether it is the pandemic, the riots, or our pocketbooks. The tension from stress causes a change in the way we think about ourselves either for better or worse. For instance, we want to be that person who strives for peace or calm, but what do we actually produce in our personal lives? How do we act toward others?

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." -- Chinese proverb

It is easy to think all we have to do is run away from the world and hide our heads under a pillow. Just ignore what is going on around us and everything will be fine. But we admit burying our heads does not work well for long as we would, of course, suffocate!

We are looking here for some answers. What can we do? Naturally, there is no one right solution for every one of us. We are all unique individuals, but we can try to come up with a few ideas that will work overall to change our little corner of the world for the better. Perhaps we can pick out just one or two of the following suggestions to start and then add to them.

1. We can open a journal or a calendar (there are apps for both of these) and start listing where our time goes. How can we change anything if we supposedly have no time?

2. We can make a list of how we would enjoy helping someone:

• Helping a handicapped neighbor take out her garbage.
• Dog sitting for someone for a couple hours.
• Volunteering on a regular basis at a women’s shelter or pregnancy center.  
• Paying for a stranger’s groceries in line behind us.
• Offering a ride to a person’s doctor appt

3. We can start (or continue) to look for a job that is satisfying. Try in the service industry to be a real help to someone in need.

4. We can spend regular and consistent time either in the morning or evening reading one page in the Bible and reading one page in a devotional book.

5. We can challenge ourselves to be a good example to our family and friends by choosing kind words, being helpful, listening rather than talking, and watching good and wholesome TV, movies, and music videos.

The Choice is Ours

Now we see that “We can” if we really want to be the one who promotes peace, joy, and love to those around us. Do we want to see a change in the world? We ARE that change!

In case we have not thought about it in a while, remember that God will never, ever force us to do anything. We can sit back and just complain about what is going on in the world. Or we can please the Lord by taking care of each other here on earth. By the way, we need to take care of ourselves too so we will have the energy to be of help to others.

Be the change the world needs!

“Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!” (Psalm 55:6 NLT).

“Get me out of here on dove wings; I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country, I want a cabin in the woods. I’m desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather.” (Psalm 55:7-8 MSG).

 

 

Get the Ball Rolling: Five Simple Invitations

Wrap yourself in kindness

We all know someone who is the perfect picture of a natural helper. They jump at any chance to assist others no matter the cause or the results. We sometimes describe that person as one who would “give the shirt off their backs” to a neighbor or even a stranger. They are completely selfless and, apparently, always think of others first.

Some would say the ultimate, extreme example of selfless love would be the Roman Catholic nun, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India. No matter which faith we are part of, we can recognize that as a humanitarian, she gave her whole being in service to the poor, homeless, and orphans. Mother Teresa died at age 87, but not before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Yet, amazingly, those of us who willingly help our friends, neighbors and even family can endure uncalled for criticism from others. Even Mother Teresa received much public blame and disapproval for her “encouragement” of suffering and pain with no solutions. This type of misplaced judgment of others belongs not to humans, but only to God.

Five Simple Invitations

There are so many ways to help others it’s impossible to even list. Extending our resources, time, gifts, and talents to those in need is an individual act of kindness left only to our own imagination. On a daily basis, lifting a hand to someone is not that hard and is always encouraged. But how could we enlarge our thinking and make sharing a permanent way of life?

• Find what we are good at doing. We all have favorite activities we can use to make life easier for others.
• Schedule our week. Be willing to set aside a small amount of time to make a big difference participating in a worthwhile cause.
• Clean up to help out. Regularly getting rid of clutter in our homes and donating it to an organization or a needy family will encourage someone else.
• Be available and attentive. Some people are shy about asking for help, so if we keep tuned in to their talk or manner, we can recognize a need and readily fill it without being asked.
• Multiplication. If we have been blessed with financial abundance, we can challenge ourselves to make anonymous offerings to a charitable organization, who then turns around and helps those in need.

Doing the Right Thing

After getting into the habit of sharing ourselves with others, we will naturally want to do more and more. And that’s the right thing. God will smile down upon us! Where we must proceed with caution is not letting our pride get in the way and taking all the credit for doing good. Or expecting some kind of heavenly “reward” or “pass” when we leave this world.

Jesus is our only perfect example here. He came to earth to willingly serve with a selfless love. Yet, He suffered in the worst way for doing so. We are unlikely to die on a cross as He did, but we may be criticized for our efforts in serving and giving. If that happens, we are probably on the right track!

"If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought" 1 Peter 3:13-14 The Message.