Let's Have Lots of Hats

            I have a younger brother.  I have five younger brothers, actually, but I’m thinking about one in particular at the moment. 

            Lately, I’ve started two new careers because of him, and it just got me thinking about how God may have intended for us to work as families, and as individuals with those around us.

            My brother is short and small:  He is eleven years old, under five feet tall, and weighs less than sixty five pounds.  As you can imagine, whether it should or not, this has an effect on his self esteem.  Career #1: Personal Trainer.  I love fitness and health (don’t laugh, it’s true), so I took it upon myself to teach him how to discipline himself and build a strong body.  I want him to value a strong and healthy body for the right reasons, so that he can live his life ready for anything that God might bring his way (I know that I would not be cut out for reaching the lost in the Appalachian Mountains without divine intervention).  However, not losing sight of what is truly valuable in life, I’ve made our “workout verse” 1 Timothy 4:6~10.  I’ll let you read it.

            My brother also has a problem with walking on his toes, for reasons not totally understood.  I also had this problem, and it has greater affects on one’s health than you might think.  Career #2: Physical Therapist.  It seems that no matter how much we nag him to stay off of his toes, he just cant do it unless he is intently focused on it. 

            I love running (actually, I hate running, but I love the exercise of it), but because of some health issues that I’ve been having lately (how ironic), I have not been able to run.  That being said, I have also dropped out of the habit of stretching.  You guessed it: now that I have not been stretching, I find that I naturally revert to walking with minimal contact from my heels.  So today, I went and had Daniel do some stretches, and I can tell that all his leg muscles are very tight.  So now I can help him with that problem as well.

            The above text was not the point of this post.  I don’t think any of you really care a whole lot about my mini careers.  The point of this post is the following:

            We all have something that we can give to one another in a blessing.  All this time, my brother was struggling with these things that were well within my ability to help, yet I only just now thought to do anything about it.  Why?  Probably because I’m a fallen sinner who, when not openly warring against my flesh, I seek to only satisfy myself.  Familiar story. 

            What are you holding back from sharing with someone?  Do you know how to knit? (I don’t…)  Teach your little sister how to knit, or someone else you know.  Do you know a musical instrument?  Get someone else interested and show them some stuff.  Do you know how to manage time?  (God knows I don’t!)  Then plan out at least a few minutes of special time with everyone in your family every day (I know that most of you reading this have a lot more than that).  Can you speak?  Then if nothing else, speak words of kindness to those around you.

            I’m mostly talking about family here.  Are you satisfied (aka, complacent) just being a “sibling”, or do you think that God might have given you the advantage of your age and experience for a reason, to bless and help your family grow?  Don’t just say “yeah… you’re probably right…”  Think about it.

            How many careers can you start within your own family?