Just Be Nice

I am enjoying my time as a marshal at a local golf course.  A half a day twice each week, I ride around the golf course.  The task is to make sure that folks stay on the cart paths around the greens and tee boxes.  I am also there to assist folks in any other way that I can.    As golfers come to the first tee, I take their receipt and give them any information about how the course is playing that day.

As I was greeting a foursome the other day, one of the guys said, "Thank you for your friendliness.  It is a great way to start the round!"  

It made me think about folks meeting us every day and especially in church on Sunday.

Can you just be nice?

At the grocery store or in traffic, can you just be nice?  While you are about your work, can you take time to be nice?  When you get home from work, with your family, can you be nice?

I must admit that I am not as busy nor in as big a hurry now.   I have things to do but not nearly as many things to do as I once did.  I am sure that in my busyness of life I have missed much along the trails of life.  Isn't it interesting that the word, "business" is so close the word, "busyness"?    You see that the difference in the word is the middle letter.  One of them is about "I" or "me" while the other uses the first letter of the word, "YOU!".  

Maybe it is a sign to us that the business of life is really not about ourselves.  Maybe it is a time that warns us that the sin of busyness is when the "YOU" of life is smashed between everything else. It can get lost.

Martha and Mary are welcoming Jesus.  It is something they have probably done many times.  Martha is about the business of life and is very busy.  Mary drops what she is doing and sits at the feet of Jesus.  Martha becomes irate because SHE is doing!  Should not everyone else be doing as well?!?  (There is that temptation of "shoulding" all over others!)  Martha actually points out the sin of Mary.  "Jesus, tell her...."

Jesus in a way says to Martha, "Just be nice."  Martha is seeking her gold stars of achievement--recognition for her hard work.   Mary has chosen to stop and be nice even to Jesus.  Mary is focusing on BEING with Jesus.    I think that Mary probably did this often to many folks, not just Jesus.

So what about us church folks--can we be nice as well?  

In visiting different churches each  Sunday morning, Mandy and I have been greeted well by some churches.  Others it seems just tolerated our presence.  They were too busy and it showed.

Today as you walk through life, let others notice that you are not too busy to just be nice.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,

Dr. Jack O'Dell

Retired

www.midweekmanna.com