Thursday, March 20: “I’m Not Bragging; I’m Just Reporting!” Whenever another person tells me how great he or she is, or thinks so, anyway, the result is that I tend to feel inferior. It is tempting, at this moment, to dislike strongly or even hate this person. I am learning, however, to celebrate with others their accomplishments, even if I think that they are lying so as to compensate for their shortcomings and possible low self-esteem. What is more difficult to tolerate is that person who, no matter what I have done, has always outdone me. Here is but one example: “I bowled a 226!” “That’s nothing; I bowled a 252.” It would be so nice to hear, “Wow! What a great game; you must really feel good about such a high score. Thanks for sharing this with me.” No matter how much I’ve accomplished, no matter how lofty my achievement, that other person has done it better, or more often, or more easily. It is enough to drive me to do or say things for which I will later be sorry. An old pastor stood up in a monthly clergy meeting during the first years of my ministry. He smiled, and then said the following: “I’m not bragging; I’m just reporting!” He continued, sharing with the rest of us what his church was doing and how successful they had been thus far. I can only speak for myself, but I appreciated greatly his initial remark. It was impossible to be jealous, or angry, or resentful; His honesty and humility trumped what he told us, and I left that meeting with his words embedded deeply into my brain forever. My goal each day is to lift up others, and cause them to feel good about themselves as a result of my having touched them with words, presence, hug, or any other visible sign of recognition. I have been told that my writing is a blessing; I thank God for my mother, who instilled in me a love of words and how they connect to make sense on the printed page. I thank God for my wife and children who regularly remind me that I am a person of worth, that I am loved for who and not what I am, and for many other qualities of which I often am not even aware. It is exciting to realize that today someone reading these very words might see that I am simply reporting, and internalize my thoughts so that positive actions occur in his or her life . . . not just for today, but forever. Thanks, God, for using me; thanks, Mom, Bon, and kiddos, for encouraging me; thanks to all who are in my life, for you have the ability to touch me in ways that are lasting. Blessings and peace, De
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:37:03 +0000
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