Christmas Challenge
I really want to challenge anyone who reads this blog to do one thing this Christmas.
Try and do one significant good deed or generous act for someone.
Now here is the hard part. Do it without anyone knowing. Not your wife or husband, not even your dog. No one can even have a hunch. This may sound simple, but I think you'll see that our human nature makes it more difficult than may seem.
Kind of like when I tip the girl at Dunkin Dounuts, I always make sure I do it when she's looking. You know,.... Other wise it feels just like a wasted tip. So am I tipping because I am generous or because I want the credit of giving, so perhaps next time I will get even better service or some kind of recognition? The latter is true, I am sorry to say. Yep, when I drop my change into the cup on the counter, I make sure I hold my hand up high enough so that the change makes plenty of noise falling into the cup. He is a little hint, nickels are louder then dimes and sound almost like quarters. Just don't ask for your change back in nickels because she'll know.
So lets try and make our own "Pay it Forward", except noones gonna actually pay it forward because they are not going to know who actually did the nice thing for them, or even if anyone did. Perhaps they will think that they left that 20 dollar bill in their own pocket (you know, the one your gonna sneak in there without letting anyone know).
And if you come back and here and post what you did then it doesn't count, I mean it! After all its not your birthday were celebrating on the 25th. Lets give him a birthday present by giving him what he actually asked us for. By just being generous your only giving him half of what he asked for. I know that I don't want just half of an XBOX 360 this year. I want the whole enchilada!
Try and do one significant good deed or generous act for someone.
Now here is the hard part. Do it without anyone knowing. Not your wife or husband, not even your dog. No one can even have a hunch. This may sound simple, but I think you'll see that our human nature makes it more difficult than may seem.
Kind of like when I tip the girl at Dunkin Dounuts, I always make sure I do it when she's looking. You know,.... Other wise it feels just like a wasted tip. So am I tipping because I am generous or because I want the credit of giving, so perhaps next time I will get even better service or some kind of recognition? The latter is true, I am sorry to say. Yep, when I drop my change into the cup on the counter, I make sure I hold my hand up high enough so that the change makes plenty of noise falling into the cup. He is a little hint, nickels are louder then dimes and sound almost like quarters. Just don't ask for your change back in nickels because she'll know.
So lets try and make our own "Pay it Forward", except noones gonna actually pay it forward because they are not going to know who actually did the nice thing for them, or even if anyone did. Perhaps they will think that they left that 20 dollar bill in their own pocket (you know, the one your gonna sneak in there without letting anyone know).
And if you come back and here and post what you did then it doesn't count, I mean it! After all its not your birthday were celebrating on the 25th. Lets give him a birthday present by giving him what he actually asked us for. By just being generous your only giving him half of what he asked for. I know that I don't want just half of an XBOX 360 this year. I want the whole enchilada!
posted by Jim Fisher at 9:38 AM
13 Comments:
I was thinking about getting you an enchilada, but now....
"Pay It Forward"...great idea.
Thanks...
Kendra
I got the Idea from reading yours post Kendra. You have inspired me!
Glad I inspired at least one person. LOL
Oh I think perhaps you inspired more than one. Sometime we need someone just to get us thinking about it. Sometimes that is the homeless guy, sometimes a story about him.
The Jews are supposed to wear these tassles that hang from their pants. The point is to remind them of how they should behave and act. I think I need something like that, a constant reminder of how Jesus wants me to be. Without something reminding me,...I tend to act too much like my true self.
"I tend to act too much like my true self."
Isn't that the truth. I guess I now know what to get you for Christmas. Some tassles to hang from your review mirror or perhaps a really really bad tie?
Remember a few years back, when the WWJD bracelets were all the rage?
Scott did a youth lesson on WWJD...and it really stuck in my mind.
I actually ask myself MANY times, "What would Jesus do?".
Yes...the rage over the bracelets was silly, but the message was not.
Kendra
Jesus did speak of the one hand doing good works without the other hand knowing.
But on the other hand (ha ha), that WWJD slogan just drives me crazy. It reduces His teachings to the basic and lowest common denominator. It basically makes us ask ourselves, "what do I think Jesus would do?"
How many kids wear that bracelet and have no idea what the OT Law that Jesus commands us to live in a fresh new way is about (simply refering to the abiding force of the Moral Law)? Most of my High School Sunday School class students were so woefully ignorant about the most basic teachings of Christ, I would be amazed that they would be able to answer the question at all.
I would love to see a revival in the hearts of God's people to act upon the faith once for all given to the Saints.
God Bless
I disagree, I think the WWJD is a good way of reminding yourself to act a certain way. Although I choose to think to myself "What would Jesus want me to to", since I can't really heal anyone or walk on water. So it should be WWJWMTD and not WWJD, this way you won't try and turn water into wine and make yourself look stupid.
"Although I choose to think to myself "What would Jesus want me to to", since I can't really heal anyone or walk on water. So it should be WWJWMTD and not WWJD, this way you won't try and turn water into wine and make yourself look stupid."
Isn't this exactly what I said? It is just that you said it better, shorter, and funnier.
Thanks to this blog I bought my husband an XBOX 360 for Christmas. Initially, I thought it was way too much money, however I realized that that it would be such a wonderful suprise, because he works hard, is kind, and is a great family man. I suggest that if you have a husband like mine you should get him an xbox 360, no matter the cost. After all love and generosity are the most important things during Christmas.
Nice try, but your still not getting an xbox360.
Jen this is actually an advertisment that I have seen on many different blogs. I did not write it. Not a bad idea though
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