(If you haven’t read “A Helping Hand, Pt. I” you can find it here.)

For the past three days, I’ve woken up at 5:30am. No reason. It was like a switch went off, and Boom. I’m up.

Usually I have a quiet time at 6:30am. Read the Bible, pray, read a devotional book, memorize scripture, etc. . So when I woke up an hour early, I just kinda shrugged my shoulders. “Okay, Lord. You want me to start early? Not a problem.” (Thankfully, Kyler’s in Colorado this week visiting grandparents, which means I only have to watch after Kaleb during the day. And Kaleb? He takes a lot of naps. So I was able to make up for my loss at a point later in the day.)

When I got an e-mail from Brandon, our LifeHouse leader, saying a new men’s group was meeting at 6:00am on Wednesday, my first thought was one of disgust. “What? Get up at an ungodly hour for fellowship? I don’t think so.” Then the bell inside my head rang. “Hey. Idiot. You’ve been waking up at 5:30am this week anyway. Ya think there’s a reason?”

Hmph. So I resisted dismissing the notion as the craziness that it was, and made a deal with myself. “Self,” I said. “If I wake up at 5:30am once again tomorrow, I’ll go to the group thing.” (Yes, I could hear my self chuckling softly in the background.)

Because at 5:30am the next day, I woke myself up. Or rather, my self woke me up. Whatever. I was awake. And disturbed. I had a hard time falling asleep the night before, and ended up snarfing down a bowl of Life cereal at midnight in the hopes that it would help knock me out. Instead, it helped blimp my butt and other hidden fat crevices.

Anyhow, I was awake. And confused. And warm and cozy in bed. So I chalked it up to coincidence and rolled over. And lay there. For 10 minutes. Wide awake. Then I stared at the ceiling for another 5. Finally I stopped trying to analyze WHY IN THE WORLD I WAS AWAKE AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING, fell out of bed and got dressed.

On the way to the group (meeting at a nearby IHOP), I prayed that God would accomplish whatever His will was that morning. I REALLY wanted to believe there was a profound reason for waking me up so early. Maybe I was supposed to be spiritually and profoundly ‘blessed” by what one of the other guys had to say. Or perhaps I was gonna bless someone else. Who knew? But I was open to whatever, so I committed it into His hands.

Nothing happened. The guys were great, the food was good, the conversation was uplifting and the like, but nothing profound or earth-shattering happened. I’m usually a quiet guy in a group anyway, but at 6:00am? I practically blended in with the wallpaper.

So we wrapped the group up, paid our bills and walked out, parting ways. As I’m getting into my car, I look across the parking lot to see a man approach Brandon’s truck. He talked for a few seconds, and Brandon handed him a few bills. As I kept staring, I suddenly realized why I was so transfixed. I recognized the guy talking to him.

It was the same guy I handed $20 to on Monday night.

So when Brandon was done talking and the guy was walking away, I waved him over to me. He trotted over with a grin on his face, which quickly fell into wide-eyed shock as he got closer.

“Heyyy,” he said nervously, “It’s you! How you doin’?”

“I’m good. How’re you?”

“I’m okay, man, I’m doing okay.”

“So, what do you need money for this time?”

“Ah, my wife. She needs her insulin, and we only need $6.00 more to pay for it.”

“Uh-huh.” I stared at him for a few seconds, a smirk forming across my face. “So, did you make it?”

“What?”

“To Huntsville. Did you actually go there?”

“Oh, yeah man. We went there…”

“And you’re already back?”

“Yeah, we’re back…”

“Hey, do you happen to have your driver’s license on you?”

He paused. “What?”

“Can I see your driver’s license?”

“My… oh, MAN! You don’t believe me!!”

“No, I don’t,” I said, smiling.

“You think I’m lying!”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Man….” he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. Then he shows me his license. The city? Huntsville, TX.

Yes, I was surprised. But still not finished with the conversation.

I looked up at him. “Do you believe in God?” I asked.

“Absolutely. I do believe in God.”

“And… you remember what I said? About the money I gave you?”

“Yes, sir, I do. An’ that money is a BLESSING, not a curse!” he said insistently.

“Good. Do you have a job?”

“What?”

“Do you have a job?”

“Yessir, I do. I’m a truck driver.”

“You’re a truck driver?”

“Well, I’m not working right now, but I start next week.”

“Uh-huh.”

At that point I let him know that I wasn’t going to give him anymore money, because I just didn’t believe he was telling me the truth. He accepted that, and was about to leave when I asked him his name.

“Cecil,” he said.

“Cecil,” I said, extending my hand, “It was good to talk with you.”

He took my hand, “You, too.”

“And what’s your wife’s name?”

“Melissa.”

“Well, I hope she gets what she needs.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I’ll see you around, Cecil.”

“Okay, then.” And he walked back across the parking lot.

When I drove around the back of the building, he saw me driving by and waved me over. He pointed to his car – parked over by a hotel – and said I could talk to Melissa if I wanted to verify his story. I told him that wasn’t necessary, and we waved good-bye.

And that’s the second part of my story.

My initial thoughts? I was kind of blown away by it all. I mean, I had hoped there was a reason for God’s waking me up so early, but I NEVER imagined something like this. It was surreal, really.

Contrary to what you might think, I wasn’t mad at him. I wasn’t really even hurt from the other night. I felt… compassion. The guy was obviously living out of his car. With a wife and possibly a child (whoever Angela is). And he’s found himself in a situation where he’s having to panhandle for money, probably just to feed himself and his family.

Suddenly, all the indignation that I felt because he didn’t use my $20 to buy gas immediately on Monday night… melted away. It has now occurred to me that there might have been other, more IMPORTANT things that he needed to buy.

But then why would he lie? Why would he say he went to Huntsville? (Which, it turns out, is down by Houston. A good 8 hours away. That would have been some marathon trip, driving down on Monday night only to make it back here by dawn on Wednesday.)

So on the one hand, I’m wary because he’s consistently lied to me and I don’t feel I can trust him. But on the other hand, I really want to do more to help him out. I actually drove around this morning (after dropping Kaleb off at Parent’s Day Out), looking for his car. I wanted to buy them breakfast. All of them. However many there were. I wanted to put them up in a hotel for a night or two, so they could rest. Take a shower. Whatever.

I don’t know how someone becomes homeless. I don’t. I’m skeptical because I think a lot of it comes down to pride. I’ve always believed that homeless people end up where they are not just from making poor decisions, but also because they didn’t want to ask for help from the people they needed to. The people they COULD have. Family, friends, government associations. A part of me thinks homeless people would rather live in squalor than humble themselves and admit to whomever that they were wrong, that they made a mistake.

Couldn’t he get a job somewhere? A construction job holding a sign, a Wienerschitzel mascot, a telemarketer. He’s obviously smart and capable. So what’s the deal?

I don’t want to be judgmental about it. I don’t want to make assumptions and fill in the blanks with my own creative mind. I want to believe that a person can make a better life for himself, given a second chance and an opportunity.

Someday I hope to find out. Lubbock’s a small town, and I think the chances are good that I’ll see him again. I want to get to know him, to cut through the barriers and help him.

More than anything, I just pray that he and Melissa find the answers they need. That they find God, and experience Him in a way they never knew was possible. And if God used my words or presence that morning to communicate something to Cecil, something I’m missing? Then I hope it sinks in. Because if this wasn’t a divine appointment, I don’t know what is.

Praying for His Will,

Kevin

P.S. On a side note, God let me sleep in until 7:00am this morning. And it felt WONDERFUL. Still, I plan to get up early next Wednesday. Just in case there’s someone I’m supposed to talk to.

The verse I read today:

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Last night while I was shopping at Target, I stumbled across the Toy Department and stopped to admire some of the action figures. With the new Iron Man movie opening up in a few weeks, there were a TON of Iron Man figures – and some of them don’t look half bad! For those who don’t know, Marvel’s action figures are now being produced by Hasbro as opposed to Toy Biz. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, because Toy Biz had a LOT of good artists and sculptors on hand, and it showed in their work (their Marvel Legends line was quite breathtaking sometimes.) Hasbro’s stuff? Eh… It just looks and feels… cheaper. So is that gonna stop me from scooping up the new Hulk figures they’ll pop out this summer for the movie? Um, that would be a NO.

June 13th. Just two months away, baby. It’s gonna be awesome.

Anyhow, back to my story… I was especially impressed with a Spider-Man set. Based on the 3rd movie, there was a black suited Spidey and a mid-transition Spider-Man (with the black symbiote spreading across his red & blue suit). I seriously contemplated getting them, but decided against it. They were $10 each, and $20 is a lot of money to spend on plastic that’s “neat” but you don’t really need.

I had recently finished reading “The Treasure Principle” by Randy Alcorn as well, and in it he discusses the typical American’s relationship with money, and how we don’t maintain a Godly perspective on it most of the time. Bottom line? It’s not OUR money – it’s God’s. He gave us the skills and abilities to produce the wealth we have, and it’s our responsibility to honor Him with how we spend it. Or not.

Now, I’m not saying buying an action figure is dishonoring to Him (or even idolatry, as some would argue). But when my heart said not to, when I got to thinking that the money could be used to give to someone else in need, it was my responsibility to obey. To say “no” to an impulse. So I did. Then I finished my shopping and started home.

As I drove home, I stopped to air up my tires at a nearby Shell. Before I pumped the air, I noticed a penny on the ground and picked it up. It was a filthy thing, but that didn’t stop me. Pennies hold special significance to me, and God has often revealed His presence when I find them. (There’s a whole story behind the power of pennies in my life, but I’m not gonna get into that now.)

So I pick up the penny, and after I stood up a man steps out from behind my truck and approaches me.

‘Whoa, whoa! Don’t shoot me!” he says jokingly, hands up.

I smile and give him the “what can I do for you?” look.

“Look, man. I don’t mean to bother you, but me and my wife over there (points to his car) are trying to get back to Huntsville tonight…”

“Where?”

“Uh, Huntsville?”

“Is that in Texas?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s down a stretch. So anyhow, we’ve only got $8 with us, and if you could help us out, we’d really appreciate it. You can take anything in our car. Anything. Well, not Melissa, ’cause she’s my wife, but anything else. As for Angela, you can take her,” he joked. “She’s not even mine.”

I took a moment to appraise him. Yes, he was clean shaven, decently dressed and didn’t show any outward signs of addiction or other afflictions. His car was a trashy Crown Victoria or Dodge or whatever, and quite old. Finally, I nodded my head and reached for my wallet.

“Well, let me see what I have here,” I said, opening it up. I had two $20 bills. Crap, I thought. Why couldn’t I have $5? $20 is a lot of money to hand over! I took it out anyway, and his eyes lit up immediately.

I held the money up between us, and paused for a moment.

“Here’s the thing,” I said, looking at him intently. “This money will either be a blessing or a curse to you.”

He frowned, unsure where I was going with the conversation.

“If you’re telling me the truth,” I continued, “Then this money will be a blessing. But if you’re lying to me,” I stared him in the eye. “Then it’ll be a curse to you. Do you understand?”

He paused for a moment, shifting feet, but then quickly nodded his head. “Okay, yeah. I understand.”

“Alright then,” I said, and handed him the $20.

He proceeded to thank me profusely, shaking my hand and offering to repay me if I were to give him a business card. The only card I had was a TeleSpank.com card, and didn’t really feel like handing one out, so I just shook his hand and went back to airing up my tires.

And the guy? He hopped into his car, said a few words to “Melissa,” and then… drove off.

I guess he didn’t need gas money as badly as he thought.

Now, I’m writing this primarily to get it out of my head. When I got home, I told Kim what had happened, and then I stewed for another hour or two, enough to have trouble falling asleep.

I like reading about con men. I have a handful of books on how they work, how to spot them, the inner workings of scams, etc. (Someday I actually hope to READ them.) So when I’ve been so bluntly duped, I feel like an idiot. And I’m sitting here replaying the situation in my head, thinking of all the things I could’ve said or done to verify whether he was telling the truth or not.

I could have asked to see his driver’s license (to verify his Huntsville residence). I could have asked to see the $8.00. Offered to pump gas directly into his car. So many things I could’ve done, but didn’t.

I strongly believe in what I told him, though. Money is neutral, but in the wrong hands, used with the wrong heart, it is, without question a curse. And that man? While I don’t know what he might run into later on down the road, I have no question he’s going to reap what he’s sown. It’s Biblical and universal – we reap what we sow. We make the messes in our lives because of our poor decisions.

Next time this happens, however, I think I’ll have to point out – quite clearly – that the money I’m giving isn’t MY money. It’s God’s money. So if they’re accepting it under false pretenses? They’re not stealing from me, they’re stealing from God. And once I’ve made that element of truth crystal clear – they can have all the money in my wallet. Seriously. If they’re genuinely in need, I’d LOVE to help someone out. I just pray for the wisdom to spot the next swindler BEFORE I hand over the dough next time. Not only so I can save the money to give elsewhere, but also because I’m really not that into letting people curse themselves in their own greed. (If they’re persistent, though, I’m not gonna stop them, either.)

And that’s my story. My cathartic tale of woe and wisdom. I guess the thread running in the back of my mind is this: I felt I shouldn’t spend the $20 at Target. Then I found a penny. Then a guy asks for money. I think there’s a spiritual element to all this, but it’s not the After School Special, “feel good” conclusion I would have expected. It would have been more satisfying if the need was genuine, if I KNEW without a doubt that I did the right thing.

As it stands? I leave it in God’s hands. And I pray my mind gets distracted by other, more worthy things to ruminate on today. I’m tired of rehashing this scenario. Time to move on.

Kevin

Coincidentally, the verse I read the next day:

“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.”

Proverbs 28:27

You wanna know the cool thing about Lubbock? There are doves everywhere. I’m serious! I’m used to seeing Oklahoma scissortails, pigeons, sparrows, etc., but here? Doves. Absolutely everywhere you go!

At first I thought it was just around my house. Untrue. You go to the mall, see the birds that are pooping off the edge of the roof? Doves. It’s crazy, but very cool. (Not the pooping, but the fact that it’s doves making the poop. It’s like… Holy Poop! Heh…) I say that because the city is already an incredibly friendly, peaceful place to live. The omnipresence of the doves only serves to underscore that sentiment.

In other news, Kim’s been gone since yesterday afternoon. (And no, it wasn’t anything I personally said or did. Pessimists.) Her… ah… job required her presence in a local matter, that’s really not all that local. Local as in “same state,” but still 4 hours away. :\ So she had to say the night last night, and will be gone tonight as well. Hopefully to return tomorrow afternoon.

We always knew there could be times like this, when she’d be required to up an’ go for extended periods of time. This is the first time in 4 years that she’s actually had to DO this, so it’s an odd experience.

I’m actually doing quite well. In the past her absence sometimes had adverse effects on me, but this week? I’m doin’ great. I think it helps getting ample amounts of sleep, as well as the godsend of the gym, where I’m typing this now (while Kyler & Kaleb are gettin’ tuckered out… one hopes…)

So I’m thankful for that. For peace. I’m also thankful that I’ve been able to be consistent about getting up for a quiet time in the mornings this week. I’ve been trying to do that more regularly for the past year, and I’m slowly making progress. The stumbling block I find is going in with an expectation of being changed from it.

I want to experience God. To come to Him and go away with a supernatural sense of peace. With divine wisdom. With something to hold in my hand and say “Look! I was a good boy and this is what I got! Wheee!!!” But it doesn’t work that way, and God’s whispering this truth to me repeatedly.

I need to seek God, to spend time is His presence, for the sake of worshipping Him. Just to remind myself that He is God and I am not. That I NEED Him and His peace, His leading in my life. I need to not get so hung up on whether or now I get the tingly feelings, the pixie dust alighting on my head and shoulders as I pray.

It’s confusing, to be honest. Sometimes I’ve argued that it seems ridiculous for us to be told that God wants a personal relationship with each of us, yet we might be greeted with utter silence if we seek to engage Him. In what other intimate relationship out there would we experience this? Would we put UP with it?

So, yeah, I still don’t fully understand why there’s so much silence sometimes, but I’m trying not to worry about understanding anymore. I just want to be faithful, to cement in my mind the need for faith in His character more than His actions. ‘Cause when He doesn’t conform to the neat and predictable image of what I think God should be? THAT’S when things get tough. Thank God for His Patience.

In other news, I bought my first iPod this weekend. It’s been what? 4 or 5 years since the first iPod was introduced? And I’ve been quite happy with my Samsung Yepp MT6Z for the past few years. One gig really was plenty for me, and having an MP3 player that runs on a single AA battery? Being barely bigger than a tube of lip balm? THAT’S good stuff.

But I find there was more than I wanted to do with my music. Mainly rate songs (as I mentioned in an early entry). Watching videos/movies, having photos on it, and syncing dates, etc. won’t be too bad, either.

Oh yeah, I haven’t said which iPod I bought, did I? Silly me. Well, I decided on the basic 4gb iPod Nano. I’m still saving up for the next version of the iPhone (due May or June, “they” say), so I didn’t want to be redundant and get an iPod Touch. And while I didn’t NEED to have video and the other perks, and would have been just as happy with a second generation iPod Nano, the price was the kicker.

A 2nd Gen iPod Nano at Apple.com would run $93.00, while a refurbished 4gb iPod Nano 3rd gen. was only $127. Plus, they threw in a $15 iTunes gift card. So I bit the bullet, plunked my card down and away we went. It should arrive Thursday or Friday. I’m hoping Thursday, before we take a weekend trip to Colorado.

Personally? I’m thrilled. I’ve waiting a long, LONG time to get an iPod. Granted, it’s only a “thing” and it’s not gonna change my life forever. But I still look forward to it. Lots.

So what about the whole iPod Touch Experiment of the last few months? Well, I’ll probably write a separate report later on, when the bitter taste of the sting wears off a bit more. (Cliff’s notes summary? Freepay makes the rules, and they can change or interpret ‘em whenever and however they want to. Stinky but true.)

I think that’s all I’ve got for now. The finger’s still a bit tender & unhappy, so I’d appreciate those who pray to keep asking for rejuvenation. It’s bearable, but the prospect of going through life having a constant reminder of the time I stupidly stabbed myself with a pair of scissors? Not fun. :\

The rest of my life these days? Quite fun.

Kevin

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve updated this, so I figure I can hack out a small update list, just to give the readers an idea of what’s going on with Kim & Kevin & The K Kids.

Lubbock – it’s nice. We really miss the familiarity and friends we had back in Edmond,but we know that we’ll adjust and adapt here, given a few more weeks / months.

There’s a TON of parks here. A huge one, called Legacy Play Village, is phenomenal for kids Kyler’s age. It’s in a bad location, however, dust-wise. Yesterday while Kyler was runnin’ around, I glanced south to see a wall of dust come to engulf us. It. Wasn’t. Fun. (Dust rarely is…)

Another one, Maxey Park, has a nice, rubber mat surrounding it instead of hard ground or mulch. (Oh yes, THAT is where I’ll be teaching Kyler how to ride a bike this summer…)

The gym – Bodyworks is quite impressive as well. One membership, 3 unique locations. All with Kid’s Clubs to watch the kiddo’s while I’m huffin’ on the treadmill (catching up on The Daily Show, since everyone gets their own monitor to watch.) PLUS, they offer a Parent’s Night Out thing on Friday nights from 7-10. Pizza, swimming (in the shallow, made-for-kids swimming pool area), movies… All for just $12 a kid. Not. Bad.

Kim and I watched “Enchanted” the other night with Kyler. Very enjoyable. And quite hilarious for anyone who’s familiar with Disney stereotypes. Highly recommended. (An’ it doesn’t hurt that Amy Adams is HOT.)

Injury report – Try this: Look down at your left hand, palm up. You see your index finger? The pointy / pickin’ finger? See where it meets the palm? Now, if you imagine a dot just 1/8 of an inch over THAT, in the center of the finger… You’ll know EXACTLY where I stabbed myself with a pair of scissors.

Yeah, it hurt. Y’see, I was cutting the zip tie off of a package, and it was a stubborn li’l thing. So I tried HARDER. Squeezed HARDER. And that worked. I cut it, and then…. the scissors kept on going. Blazingly fast – right into that dot spot.

It was in and out before I realized what had happened. Then I saw the blood, and realized I had a serious problem on my hand(s).

A few minutes / muttered curses / peroxide dowses later, and it was wrapped up tight with a bandage.

The cut itself is dinky. Just a small scratch on the surface. But it’s what happened UNDER the skin that’s a problem. In effect I plunged into a bundle of nerves or a tendon or SOMETHING, because here it is almost a week later, and it still feels like someone mashed the thing in a vise.  Can bend it, both ways, but not without painful discomfort and stiffness.

So. Now I’m praying for quick healing and not permanent damage. Resisting the hypochondriac lurking within. He’s a persistent one, that guy.

What else? Kim’s enjoying her job. Only takes 10 minutes to get to/from work (downtown), so she often meets us for lunch.  It’s a small office (12 people at most), which only reinforces the small town feel of living here.

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! There are prairie dogs down here! We went to the official Prairie Dog Town and checked it out. Right after we pulled up, I watched two of ‘em going at it in the distance. They were wrestling quite forcefully in a cloud of dust, rolling back and forth. It was quite a rumble. And then? The victor got up – with the loser in it’s jaws – and trotted off with it’s prize.

Yeah. I was just as shocked. And sickened. And confused.

That’s when the dust cleared and I got a better look at the winner. Who looked a LOT like a fox… Same colors, body type, movements. Yep. That’s no prairie dog! That’s a FOX!

And a full fox, at that. Or he will be… In about 10-20 more bites…

Poor li’l dog. He didn’t know what hit him. Or bit him. Or ate him. Until it was too late…

Still, I enjoyed the rawness of the moment. It was like watching an episode of Animal Planet – Lubbock style!

And now… I think I’m done for today. My finger’s throbbing… Gotta give it a break… (or a rest… Sounds less ominous…)

One more thing – I replaced my Clie battery yesterday. It was easy, took 5 minutes, and was some of the best $20 I’ve ever spent.

Also, since there’s no Redbox down here yet, I thought we’d be outta luck when it comes to $1 movie rentals. Not so. At the FANTASTIC grocery store up the street (Market Street), they have a kiosk in the lobby by iMOZI, which works just like RedBox. (The online interface is a bit hokey. Javascript, I think. But hey, it’s the price that counts…)

Kevin

—————-

Watch it. Learn it. Internalize it.

Money REALLY isn’t everything.

See below. Again, great, great stuff. What everyone needs to hear about money these days…

Kevin

Again, an excellent series. (I’ll be posting all parts over the next few weeks. Yes, I consider it THAT important for people to hear.)

Kevin

Last Sunday’s sermon at LifeChurch.tv was the first in a new series called “How to BE Rich.” As attractive as the title may be to some, they’re in for a rude surprise when they check it out. The emphasis? Not the fact that we can all become rich one day, but the reality of how we already ARE rich. This especially applies to us as Americans who are living in one of the most affluent societies in the history of the world.

As always, God uses Craig’s words in such a way that they reach right into your very soul. He makes a lot of points, and ONE of them is always bound to convict you, or inspire you, or change you. I guess that’s the best word for it. Change. You can’t listen to this series and not feel changed or a NEED to change something in your life.

It’s an excellent series, and I highly recommend you experience it when you have a free 15-20 minutes.

To be honest, I can’t say enough about how impressed I’ve been with LifeChurch.tv since Kim and I first started attending back in August 2005. God has molded my character in ways I never conceived of over the course of the past few years. While I can’t give the church ALL the credit for it, I will say that He has used those messages to take me from the brink of desperation more than once. Hope? Encouragement? Motivation? I’ve found them there, more times than I can count.

I’ve been a volunteer at the Internet Campus for about 6 months now. For those who aren’t familiar with the LifeChurch Internet Campus, the concept is simple: a place to visit and worship and hear the Word preached for those who either can’t or would prefer not to physically attend church. So on Sundays from 11-12pm I volunteer in the Live Prayer area of the Internet Campus. Again, it’s just like it sounds – a place for people online to come and receive prayer. It was a natural fit for me, because I really enjoy praying for and encouraging other people, and I’m also able to carry on a chat session with little to no effort. And I’m humble. Oh-so-humble.

In addition to the streaming sermons and the Internet Campus, you can also find the sermons as audio and video podcasts on the iTunes Music Store. (This page has links to it.) So if you find you haven’t gone to church for a number of weeks / months but you still hunger to hear the Truth preached in relevant terms, this might be just what you’re looking for. Download ‘em into iTunes and slap ‘em onto your iPod to watch at your leisure.

Good, good stuff, Maynard. (It’s from a Malt-O-Meal commercial. Look it up on YouTube or something.)

Kevin

We all have epiphanies every once in a while. A time when all the answers suddenly seem to fall into place, when the dove of wisdom decides to alight on your shoulder and next thing you know, you KNOW. You finally UNDERSTAND. That elusive mystery? That pestering problem that you had been scrutinizing for the past few weeks / months / years? Solved. Just. Like. That.I’ve had an epiphany this week. It’s not profound, but at the same time it’s something we don’t really take into account, consciously. We take it for granted, and because of that we miss its significance, how it affects everyone and every single relationship we’ve had or will ever have.

The revelation? We’re all children.

That’s it. We are ALL children. Every single one of us. We might CALL ourselves adults, but we’re not. At least, not without a considerable amount of effort.

Look at a child. They’re selfish by nature. They know what THEY want – to do, to eat, to own, to play with. Their world revolves around them, and we as parents don’t always make it easy. We either cater to their every whim, reinforcing their narcissism, or we swing the pendulum the other way and neglect their needs, not recognizing how truly dependent they are on us.

Now, look at your typical adult. Unless he’s specifically been taught otherwise or taken it upon himself to redefine Who He Is, he’s a selfish dolt. In everything he does.

Hey, he’s got a better car than I do! I want that!

I need more money. More more more!

I don’t like you anymore. You make me feel bad. I hate you.

I want someone who makes me feel good. Me! Me! Me!

That was MY parking space, dammit! I’ll kill you! I WILL KILL YOU!

See my point?

We’re all inherently selfish and, as a result, we are all just like children. Only we’re trapped in these bizarre, hairy bodies. And unless we embark on the hidden path of Consideration and Respect for Others, we’re following the other lemmings off the cliff. Jumping with mindless glee, because it’s all we know, all we’ve been taught.

I’m here to encourage you to stop the spin cycle. Stop the madness. Today don’t just think about what YOU need to do and accomplish. Think about how you can help someone else, ANYONE else. Break free of your childish chains and genuinely LOVE someone else. Completely. Sacrificially.

It’s not easy, but considering the alternative, I think it’s well worth the effort.

We’re not alone out there. We have to live with other people every day. Every single day we will either choose to get along with those around us, or to think only about ourselves and what WE need to be happy. To compromise our goals and needs with those around us, or to stick our piggish heads in the sand and throw a tantrum until whatever offends us goes away. (You laugh, but you KNOW people like this. Heck, you’ve probably worked for them. Or are still working for ‘em…)

So I leave you with this one directive. It’s simple, it’s to-the-point and it’s something we all need to hear in this Me-Centric Society we’re a part of.

Grow Up.

______________________

1 Corinthians 13:11

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”