Good Example

After Wednesday's post about trying to give up complaining and criticizing for the entire season of Lent, and after yesterday's post about failing already, I have changed directions.

Instead of "giving up" a bad trait, I'm going "positive" and trying to adopt the habit of Good Example.

I thought long and deep over the past few days about Christ. This is a good season to reflect on his life. He rarely criticized or complained. Overturning the tables in the temple seems to have been the worst thing he did. Generally, he taught by Good Example. That is an excellent way to go, for me. However, I don't expect it to be easy.

It will mean keeping my big mouth shut when I am tempted to give MHO without being asked. It will mean being patient in midst of a disagreement. It will mean a lot more than that.

One thing that ties into Good Example is the fact that each one of us touch many more lives, every moment of every day, than we realize. Within the first three hours after waking this morning, I touched more than I imagined. When I looked at those hours, I touched almost a dozen lives in email replies. Two of those required more tact and Good Example than I managed to find in myself so early in the morning. I might have to soften those.

In addition to the emails, my middle-aged nephew was home and we touched base. Plus my 13-yr-old male tabby who asks nothing but love and food and comfort. At times, my Good Example must extend to him, too, as one of God's creatures. There are times I do not pay attention to him when all he needs is a pat on the head.

Good Example includes so many traits that I would love to expand in myself: patience, love, tact, honesty tempered with tenderness, and more.

In a few minutes (I'm writing this in the morning but will post tonight), I will join two ladies for a charity-crafting weekly two-hour session in a community clubhouse. There, I will touch those two ladies, the office manager, the park manager, and quite a few more.

I owe it to my Savior to be what I claim to be - a good Christian and follower. It won't be easy (sigh), but it will be worthy of my best efforts. Off I go in a new direction!

God of All and Father of my Savior, fill me daily with all I need to do this, to be a Good Example to all you place on my daily path; I need all the help I can get.