“You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world
(Matthew 5:13 & 14).”
Happy Birthday
When I was growing up, I always looked forward to my birthday. Often, I was disappointed, because the day rarely met my outsized expectations. In working through that disappointment, I finally got to a place where I decided that instead of looking at what others could do for me (to celebrate me), I started looking at what I could do to make another person’s day better. Could I do an extra chore around the house, that another usually does? Could I pay for a meal or two to make another person’s day better?
A couple of years ago, I went to McDonald’s and left a $20.00 bill to pay for the next person’s meal. The one who took my order was a member of the church. When I saw him in church the following Sunday, he was excited to see me and said, “Can I tell you what happened after you paid for the next person’s meal? That person was so touched, they also gave $20.00 for the next person’s meal. People were so touched that they kept paying for the next person’s meal. By the end of my shift, so much money had been given, that no one had to pay for their own meal.”
In a world where we are taught by our society to look out for ourselves, our God teaches us to look out for others. In a world where we are often divided and cut off from others, our God invites us to find ways to be generous, to work together, to move to a new place of seeing our connections to others. As those who belong to Jesus, may we find our way to share our influence and the hope that is within us.
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for giving us life and giving us birth. Thank you for claiming us placing us into community with others. Help us to lean on and rely on your community. Help us to do our part to help the community grow deeper in you. Help us to be the light and salt you need in this world. Guide us to find ways to share your love and life with others. In the hope Jesus offers us, Amen.