09-19-2021

September 16, 2021

The View from the Back of the Line
    Have you known that person? The one who leaves every person they encounter feeling a little more blessed for having met them? They’re the friend you can count on when nothing is going well. They’re the one who’s always “doing” for others. They’re never
gossiping or sniping or complaining.
     We wonder how they do it, how they have it in them. We’re a little envious, even if we don’t let ourselves acknowledge it.
     That, folks, is what the view is like from the front of the line, gazing at those suckers in the way back and wondering why they’re smiling so much.
     We’ve all been at the front of a line and felt no shame about it. We show up early, we put in the time and the legwork, and we “earn” whatever it is we came for — sports tickets, the latest Apple product, whatever. That’s how it works here on Earth, where the fastest win the race, the fittest survive and the first shall be first, always.
     It’s exactly why stewardship is such a tall order. Stewardship calls us to play by the rules of another kingdom — one where the richest have the least amount in their bank accounts and the happiest don’t seem to have anything to show for it, at least materially.
     If you have a person in your life who always seems happy “doing” for others, it’s because by a boatload of God’s grace, they play by the rules of the other place.
     Watch and take notes — and don’t be afraid to join them at the back of the line. — Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi