Down The Path
My oldest son once got in trouble in school for misbehaving. Seems he and a buddy thought it would be a good idea to flash their bottoms out the window as unsuspecting classmates walked into school from the bus. After everyone had their fill of laughs, they reported the partners in crime to the principal.
Following the incident and subsequent investigation, I got a call explaining that I needed to pick up my son and keep him home for a 3 day suspension. Once we returned home, I began drilling him about why he did something as idiotic as show his behind out of a school window. All he knew is that his friend did it and he followed suit.
I won't go into detail about how he was disciplined but lets just say he was in trouble less for the initial act than he was for playing monkey see monkey do...
Peers, family, community/church leaders, managers, spouses. There are countless people in our lives who have a vision or great idea they believe we should follow. In each case we have to decide whether we will support those dreams or leave to follow a separate path.
Even great leaders followed another at one point in their lives so its natural that we'll find ourselves following as we live out our own dreams. When we follow, we are submitting to the ideas, direction and wisdom of others. At times we have no choice in who we follow, as in a child following the directions set by their parent or guardian. Once we come of age, we make decisions on who we will follow. Following or teaming up with others can be extremely beneficial when there is knowledge or skills to be gained, connections made and mistakes avoided. In some cases, by following the lead of another, we join forces and share resources to become more powerful than we would be if standing alone.
Just as there are many pros to following someone, there are also inherent risks involved. We can never know completely if a plan will come to life as drawn out or if a person's intentions are genuine. This is why we should lean not on our own understanding. We should be very careful about who we submit our time, heart and talents to. Before we jump on anyone's bandwagon - even parents sometimes - we have to research for ourselves to understand the full intent of the plan including goals, risks, rewards and investment (i.e, what do we have to sow to reap rewards). Once information is gathered from reliable sources, we should analyze and pray about the direction we believe we want to take.
Understanding if someone's plan is aligned with our own path will make all the difference in those we decide to support. If we act in accordance with someone without understanding who they REALLY are and what they stand for, we should blame not them, but ourselves if the situation turns sour. Nobody wants to be caught with their rear end hanging out the window so be encouraged. Know who you are and take responsibility for your affiliations.
Following the incident and subsequent investigation, I got a call explaining that I needed to pick up my son and keep him home for a 3 day suspension. Once we returned home, I began drilling him about why he did something as idiotic as show his behind out of a school window. All he knew is that his friend did it and he followed suit.
I won't go into detail about how he was disciplined but lets just say he was in trouble less for the initial act than he was for playing monkey see monkey do...
Today's Inspiration
We are Responsible for the Decision on Who We Follow
Peers, family, community/church leaders, managers, spouses. There are countless people in our lives who have a vision or great idea they believe we should follow. In each case we have to decide whether we will support those dreams or leave to follow a separate path.
Even great leaders followed another at one point in their lives so its natural that we'll find ourselves following as we live out our own dreams. When we follow, we are submitting to the ideas, direction and wisdom of others. At times we have no choice in who we follow, as in a child following the directions set by their parent or guardian. Once we come of age, we make decisions on who we will follow. Following or teaming up with others can be extremely beneficial when there is knowledge or skills to be gained, connections made and mistakes avoided. In some cases, by following the lead of another, we join forces and share resources to become more powerful than we would be if standing alone.
Just as there are many pros to following someone, there are also inherent risks involved. We can never know completely if a plan will come to life as drawn out or if a person's intentions are genuine. This is why we should lean not on our own understanding. We should be very careful about who we submit our time, heart and talents to. Before we jump on anyone's bandwagon - even parents sometimes - we have to research for ourselves to understand the full intent of the plan including goals, risks, rewards and investment (i.e, what do we have to sow to reap rewards). Once information is gathered from reliable sources, we should analyze and pray about the direction we believe we want to take.
Understanding if someone's plan is aligned with our own path will make all the difference in those we decide to support. If we act in accordance with someone without understanding who they REALLY are and what they stand for, we should blame not them, but ourselves if the situation turns sour. Nobody wants to be caught with their rear end hanging out the window so be encouraged. Know who you are and take responsibility for your affiliations.
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