Please, thank you, you’re welcome, have a nice day…………..

When I was a young man, my father and mother drilled courtesy into me.  If I ever failed to show appreciation for a kind act, failed to say thank you, I was in big trouble!!!!  Coming onto the Masters this morning I stopped a couple of times top let a car cross our lane of traffic, because traffic is horrendous around Augusta National this week!!  One man, (a man maybe my age), threw his hand up,  acknowledging his appreciation, that after a long wait, someone considered him!  The other driver, (a very young man),  shot across the lane as if he thought I might change my mind, and never acknowledged anything.  I mentioned to Brien that if I had done that a spanking would have been on the way.  I know that there are young people that are polite, but I think the kind of training I was subjected to is much less common today.  So what’s the big deal?!   Actually, as a believer, I think it’s avery big deal.  While the action of a thank you or a please are important, it’s more about the attitude.

Why did I pause and let the other drivers pull through my lane?  My father has been in Heaven for a long time, so I know he wasn’t watching, or at least I certainly hope he has better things to do there!   No, I think it has to do with your approach to life.   Do other people matter?  Is life all about you?  Do you really care about any of the other thousands of people that you will interact with over your lifetime?  Would Jesus take a moment in traffic to let someone through?  Would Jesus look someone in the eye and say “Good morning”?  Would Jesus say, “thank you” when someone handed him a cup of water?  The scripture doesn’t say a lot about this kind of dialog, but it does tell us about his talking to the woman at the well, and stopping to touch and heal the sick, the lame, and the blind.  If Jesus touched the lepers, who no one touched, he smiled and greeted people warmly!

If you desire to witness to others about your faith, you have to start by doing something that people are not expecting, kindness, consideration, warmth. At the Masters the countless hundreds of security people, cart drivers, and door greeters, meet you with warm words and kind wishes, it reminds me of how i think things should be everywhere.  How much does it cost to be courteous?  The more important question, if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, how much does it cost your witness to not show that concern?

Have a wonderful day!

the pilgrim

Yes I’m at the Masters, and speaking of nice guys!

Photo Note:  Nikon D800, 70-200 AFS-VR f 28 lens at f 2.8 @ 1/125th of a second.  ISO 1600.  Hand Held.

After I wrote this mornings blog, I got the email below, it is a testament to how a little kindness, can affect someone else’s life!

I had participated in the photo contest at Sun N Fun last weekend. I wanted to write you and thank you again for your kind comments regarding my photography. I have met a number of “professionals” shooting photos at air shows in the past year or two that I have been pursuing photography semi-professionally. From the people I have met, I have encountered some really great folks, and a couple of others who really look down on me as just another kid with a camera. I even had a fellow tell me once “Your photos probably aren’t good enough for a magazine.” Since then I’ve somewhat taken it upon myself to prove him wrong, but it does make me more grateful for people like yourself who would seek to offer positive and constructive comments. I have been shooting photos for a large portion of my life, and have my roots in plastic 110mm film cameras. I just got my first DSLR a couple of years ago (D90) and I am still using it even though I did take a short detour with an Olympus om2 and a dark room, so I guess you could say that I would be one of the “purists” who still embraces 35mm negatives and dark room chemicals. I feel like I am actually pretty well rounded for just being another kid with a camera.
On my way out of the door following the presentation of awards after the photo contest you had mentioned to stay in touch, and I take that comment with a great sense of honor coming from someone of your merit. I would look forward to the day where our paths might cross again. Thank you again.