The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Are We Setting Good Examples?

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

March 9, 2011

It's good to enjoy life and have fun, but the main question we need to be asking is - "Are we setting good examples for our children and grandchildren? Sometimes I wonder in today's "What about Me!" world.

As a child, we wanted our way, but as we mature into adults, we learn, hopefully, The Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This past week I was going through security at the Denver airport when a couple of guys who were ahead of me hesitated in line and it left a small gap. A young man two lanes over yelled, "Hey! Move It Along!" Obviously, the guy hadn't arrived at the airport at the proper two hours before his flight and was pushing others along so he wouldn't miss his plane. The guy in front of me turned to me and said, "Who made him more important than the rest of us?"

I smiled, and said, "That's a good question." But after thinking about it, I thought - "God did."

After moving along a little, another couple said they were going to miss their flight and asked security if they could go through the priority lane. The guard sent him back with a "no!". I said, "Go ahead of me, then another lady on the other security check motioned them in front of her and held her things back from going through the security check.

The man's wife was embarassed but it didn't hurt anyone to help them along.

I might have acted differently, but the day before, I had attended Sunday School with my daughter Darci and saw a moving film clip.

A man was impatient, trying to get to work and people were getting in his way one right after another.

A young boy rode a skateboy right behind him as he backed out his drive-way.

Then a girl cut in front of him at the intersection and on and on. He finally arrived at the coffee shop, when a man took extra time in front of him and he was told to wait.

But when he finally sat down, a man appeared and handed him a pair of magical eye glasses that would help him solve everything.

When he put the glasses on, he could see what was going on in the lives of everyone he looked at and it completely changed how he felt about them. Instead of irritated, he became more passionate.

The boy with the skateboard had no father and he wanted the young man to be his friend.

The girl who cut him off was running away from home.

The man at the coffee shop had just lost his job and was trying to deal with it.

How difference we would each be if we could see with the eyes of Christ.

This Sunday is the beginning of lent. It is a good time for us to focus on whose examples we should follow and on the examples that we set for others to follow.