Oil on gallery wrap canvas. Size 16x40. First in the Beach Girl Series[/caption]I am so glad you stopped by. I am sitting on the porch enjoying my "last" morning of vacation. I'm finishing up my "last" few sips of coffee before I take my "last" jog down 30A. A perfect end to a wonderful weekend.
Our culture puts so much emphasis on being first, that they miss out on the joys of being last. You only have to be in an elementary classroom when a teacher says "Line up" to see it first hand. Children sprinting and tripping and elbowing just to be first only to be faced with complaints of "cutting" in line which leads to lying, arguing, and usually a trip to the back of the line. Contrast that with the child that chooses to wait and be last in line. He had time. He had time to put his books away, push in his chair, and comfortably make it to his place in line. He avoided the pressure of being first and made it to his destination at the same time as every one else in the class. He completely missed the pushing and shoving and cutting, and ugly looks. Why in the world would you want to be first when there's so much joy in being last? You know what I'm talking about. You have to admit that your heart swells every time you step aside and hold the door for someone else to go first. I can't explain it, but there's a joy that floods your soul every time you put someone else before yourself.
I know we live in a very self centered world, and loving your neighbor as yourself is a foreign concept. However, the bible says the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. The second is to love others as you love yourself. This challenge will not be easy, but I encourage you to be intentional about putting others first. Slow down, breathe deeply, and discover the joys of being last. I promise your day will be richly blessed when you serve others first. I hope to see you at the back of the line.
love love love Ruthie
Loved this post, Ruthie! We often teach our children to be first in this, that or the other... I guess to motivate them to try their best... but we hardly ever teach children (or instruct ourselves!) to be last. A foreign concept in this culture but a very clear instruction in the Bible. Thanks for your insight!
ReplyDeleteSteve! Thank you so much for reading my blog! I love hearing from you!
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