They're the people that you meet each day

Have you ever wondered how amazing the human mind is? I am sitting here, looking at this blank page, and immediately what comes to mind is a song from Sesame Street.

Well, they're the people that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the people that you meet each day

http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Sesame_Street/Miscellaneous/People_In_Your_Neighborhood/98341.html

Do you remember it? Or am I simply aging myself here!

We come across so many people in our daily lives. Each an every one of them has the incredible power to change our lives. Strangers can smile and brighten your day. Others, can bump into you, and cause you to go into a tirade about how society has lost it's social graces. Some can cause you to lose hope, while others can show you incredible courage, allowing you to find strength within yourself, that you never even knew you had.

So here is my question. How do you respond? In as much as we can be influenced by other peoples actions, it only stands to reason that WE have the same power of influence. Do you hold the door open for the business woman who just knocked the bag out of your hand. Do you smile at the woman who is trying to control her 2 year old's tantrum, or do you give her a disapproving look? Do you respond out of anger, when the guy in the sports car cuts you off? Give him the one finger salute? Or do you try to look at it from a different perspective. His wife just went into labor and he is rushing home, Her child has been sick for a week, and the woman needed a break.

Each and every day, I choose to respond. I can allow my emotions to control me. I can set up "rules" for what is right, and what is wrong, and then judge others by this ever flowing, constantly changing set of guidelines. The problem with that is.... Others have their own defined measuring stick as well. And thus, I am being judged the same way that I am judging others.

What do I do to make things a little better for the stranger in front of me? Can I make a difference? Absolutely. You see, how we respond towards others, give us an opportunity to speak into the lives of those around us. We have control over how impatient we are. Perhaps by telling the clerk who served you at the store, that he did a good job, will allow him to take pride in his work. This in turn, will influence how he responds to the next customer.

Of course, there is a catch. Living this way can be really hard. Let's face it, some people are asses. Plain and simple. There is no "justifying", they are asses. You want to tell them, or tell someone else. But perhaps, an act of kindness will change how they respond when they go home. Maybe he / she won't beat their kids tonight.

I do struggle with this philosophy. I struggle putting it into practice. I hear horror stories every day, and sometimes it can be really discouraging to find positive in anything at all. It is however, my RESPONSIBILITY to try and live it out. It is a choice I made when I decided to follow Jesus, to live by God's word. If I am worthy of Grace - which I am - then so are all of the people that we meet each day. Show them the Grace that you have so readily accepted for yourself. Perhaps it is exactly what they need today. I know it is what I need.

Remember folks " God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." John 3:17 - The message.