What Do They Call You?
My brother and I were born in an Army hospital. Our names were chosen before our mom went back through the big double doors – alone – to delivery whatever we would be. 50+ years ago, ultrasound was an unknown baby-sex-determining technology. She had to write down a boy’s name and a girl’s name BEFORE delivery (As a total aside, I would have been Ann Elizabeth had I been a girl.). So as a result of that notation on the page > I have been Steve for 55 years. More recently, as I move through the West Virginia Annual Conference and the National United Methodist Foundation circles, I get to be Kim’s husband…I like that. Makes my stock price HIGH. The last 20 plus years have garnered me the title of Grant and Josh’s dad. I like that one too > I’m uber proud of my fellas and will NEVER miss a chance to be identified with them.
For the bulk of my electrical career I have had the (nick) name "The Lightbulb Guy" – with some customers even introducing me using the company name as my last name > catching their mistake and grinning.
At work now some call me the bicycle guy and ask a myriad of chain, tire, gear, and riding questions. What I don’t think anyone has ever called me is the church guy or God’s guy or the religious guy, or…
The internet (namely Facebook) is riddled with memes! Memes about just about EVERY subject imaginable. Some are so silly. One shows our 16th President’s famous silhouette with the words, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” And it’s signed – A. Lincoln. A meme/story that did catch my eye was from a Fred Rogers quote: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
Physical helpers can certainly be spotted. Although the news would rather show the looters, occasionally a story surfaces of someone or several someones helping. I was moved by the video clip of trucks pulling boats on trailers lined along the interstate, queued up ready to help after Harvey hit Texas. We also see pictures of our WV United Methodists packing flood buckets and repairing homes and churches.
Society seems to be on an unfiltered rampage of being offended, complaining and name calling. I have to stop myself and ask if I’m helping to NOT spread gossip, if I’m helping to NOT discredit ideas that aren’t my own, if I’m helping to NOT blame when things don’t go my way, if I’m helping to NOT dismiss someone because I don’t like their stance, if I’m helping – if I’m helping! There’s an old saying (not from Facebook – Ha): No word is ever wasted. It either helps or it hurts. I MUST be sure that I HELP.
Psalm 19 v14: Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
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