I have a terrible habit that I have been trying to break. Whenever I am in a really bad mood I try to pass my bad mood on. So when I am beyond cranky I somewhat unintentionally pick fights at home often until Meghan is annoyed and cranky as well. The worst part of it is once Meghan is finally in a bad mood my mood starts to improve.
Like I said it is a terrible habit, and not a behaviour that leads to long term marital success I might add. I guess there is some truth in the old saying; ‘misery loves company‘.
Here at Sackville United Baptist Church we have been studying the life of Joseph on Sunday mornings. This week we took some time to reflect on the story of Joseph in jail
I love The Brink Testament
One line in this story has been really sticking out to me; When Joseph came to [The cupbearer and the baker] the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked [them], “Why do you look so sad today?”
Joseph has been in prison for quite some time for a crime he didn’t commit. If I were in his shoes I would be miserable, I would be angry, I would be bitter, and I certainly wouldn’t notice, or care if I did notice, that someone else was also upset. Yet this is what Joseph did, he noticed even in the depths of his own pain, that there were other people suffering around him.
This challenges me because truthfully I can be a little self involved. I can get so focus on my wants, and my desires, that I miss what other people are saying and feeling.I don’t think I am alone in this, I think we can all become a little self absorbed from time to time.
The simple act of noticing the pain these two men were in, changed the course of Joseph’s life forever. This is behaviour that I need to learn to emulate. Giving people your attention, truly caring about their feelings, showing concern for their problems are some of the greatest gifts you can give. And who knows, those simple acts of kindness may help to transform a life, which may help to transform the very world.
**This post is a much altered version of the sermon I gave at Sackville United Baptist Church on June 2nd 2013. You can listen to the full sermon here.**
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If we all tried to pass on a smile everyday I believe the world would be a better place. Noting of course that I am in the same camp as you, and not exactly known for smiling all that often :s
I agree, I still smile at people if I catch their eye on the bus, or along the road. And most people still look at my like I am a little nutty.