Saturday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
By JENNIFER BURGIN
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
Wednesday morning I craved a Chick-Fil-A spicy biscuit sandwich, so I decided to go through the drive thru on my way to work. I sat waiting for the Mini Cooper in front of me to place her order. Several minutes passed by when impatience set in. "Come on, Lady! Why aren't you moving forward? Make up your mind! Is it a biscuit, fruit, or an OJ??? I needed to get to work like five minutes ago! " Finally, the car moved forward as I inhaled exhaust fumes. (Oh, the stench. Cough, cough..) I rolled up my window mumbling to myself "Uh! Why did I bother coming here today? Is this sandwich really worth the wait ?"
Feeling super hungry, cranky and not at all in the mood to go to work, I finally reached the pick-up window. I handed the attendant my debit card. She smiled and said, "Oh, ma'am, the lady in front of you just paid for your breakfast!"
What? Free breakfast? Wow! Okay, now I felt like a jerk for being so impatient and crabby. (Lord, please pardon me!) My foul mood instantly vanished! I couldn't believe I was a beneficiary of the "pay it forward" phenomenon I've heard so much about. I drove to work with a grin on my face. The first thing I did before even turning my computer on was tell my coworkers about my experience.
No question. I will "pay it forward" the next time I'm at a drive thru window no matter how many passengers occupy the vehicle behind mine. Good deeds do wonders for the psyche.
Sadly, in our narcissistic culture, it's common to see people go through their every daylives without a care in the world. They are "in-love" with themselves: obsessed with the flesh. These people live and breathe selfishness. They believe life is all about accumulating wealth, power, and material possessions. If they happen to do anything, it's to benefit their own desires. Pride is at the focal point....
Contrast this by the faithful who are more concerned with the Spirit than the flesh. They are observant of people and situations, finding ways to be kind and help others. They are fine Christian witnesses who despite the negativity that is so prevalent in our society turn situations positive. Kindness, love and goodness preferred over pride, vanity, and hatefulness.
I think we should all "pay it forward" sometime in the next week with one act of kindness. Offer a friend a ride, leave a nice tip at a restaurant, or compliment a co-worker for a job well done! I think Our Lord smiles every time he sees one of his flock do something special for someone else. We are all here on this earth to help one another and love one another.
Throw away the selfishness and replace it with selflessness. Do a good deed today and everyday!
St. Anthony Mary Claret, Pray for Us!
"I will be kind to everybody, particularly to those I find troublesome." - St. Anthony Mary Claret
"I will be kind to everybody, particularly to those I find troublesome." - St. Anthony Mary Claret
"A life lived for others, is the only life worth living." - Albert Einstein
This meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin. Please visit her blog: Jennifer's Spectrum of Spirituality
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