Mechanisms

Have you ever thought how people can be like mechanisms that don’t work properly?  I know it’s a little off the wall, but you know what it’s like when a mechanism doesn’t work right and just keeps running when it isn’t working properly.

Take toilets for example.

Now, I am probably close to the most unmechanical person on the planet,  but even I know that you can jiggle the handle and you hope that will stop the water from constantly running.  I know that because that was the first think my dad always did.

Next, he would look at the tank and check the parts to see if something needed to be replaced.  If he found a broken part he would go to the hardware store and purchase new parts and put it back together.  

The people we meet every day on our journey are often running continually because they have broken parts and they don’t know what else to do.  Some people are afraid if they stop, they might not be able to get started again.  

That’s why people can be like toilets…sometimes they need help – just a little jiggle – to help them get back on track again.  So, if you notice someone isn’t acting like they usually do, you can take a minute to check with them to see if everything is okay.  It could be that they need more help than just jiggling the handle, but you won’t know unless you take the time to check in with them.  

It’s important to remember that life is a journey and we’re all in it together.  Taking time to pay attention to someone else on the road will actually enrich you on your journey as well.  

Moment by moment we have opportunities to see, smell, taste, and hear life all around us.  We aren’t actually enriched by money or power or fame.  Noticing small opportunities and taking the time to appreciate them and to love is what makes the journey worthwhile.  

Exercise: What opportunities have you had today that enriched your life?  Notice them, appreciate them, thank God for them, and most of all remember they made the journey worthwhile.