Corona Devo 2014

Last night was garbage night on our street.  Around midnight, as I knelt beside my bed to say good-night to God, I heard a tiny squeak outside of our window, and I crept over to take a look.  

Quietly, (pretty much silently), a pick-up truck full of treasures (other people's trash) had come to a halt at the end of our driveway.  I watched as a man exited the truck without a sound, and proceeded to pluck an item from the end of our driveway that we had deemed useless but that he must have seen value in.

After placing said item silently in his backseat, he closed both the passenger backdoor and the driver's door of his truck without sound.  

Even though I watched him do all of this, I still can't figure out how he did the entire maneuver silently.

He surely had it all down to a science, and if I hadn't been awake and in a silent room with a window open, I would have never heard or seen a thing...because he went to purposed lengths not to bother or wake anyone.  

~~~

When was the last time we went to great lengths (or any lengths) not to bother someone else?  When was the last time we cared about someone else's experience over our own?  

Can we remember the last time that we placed somebody else's comfort above ours? 

The guy that was garbage-picking in the truck at midnight was doing something that he enjoyed, but he was doing it without negatively affecting anyone else.  He was awake at midnight but he was careful not to wake anyone else at midnight.  He took the time and effort not to bother or affect others negatively.  

Do we do that?  Do we even think about the needs of others when we are in pursuit of our pleasure, or our plan?  

We should.   
God says that we should.

  • Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (4) not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  ~Philippians 2:3-4  
  • Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  ~John 15:13  
  • Do to others as you would have them do to you.  ~Luke 6:31

It doesn't have to be a big deal or a grandiose gesture, in fact, it shouldn't be.  But--all the same, we must train our hearts to be aware and mindful of those around us.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (14) For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."  ~Galatians 5:13-14

God doesn't tell us to lay down and be a doormat to the world.  Not at all.  But the Bible shares repeated messages with us about treating others how we would like to be treated.  

Do we appreciate courtesy?  Then give it.

Are we blessed by manners?  Then use them.

Do we bloom when kindness is cast upon us?  Then be kind.

We know how we like to be treated, and we know how God says to treat others.  

Then let's do it.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.   ~I John 3:18

Go ahead...trash-pick at midnight, but do it quietly.  👍

Blessings, 

Sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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