Rewrite Your Tale

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While watching Dolphin Tale this morning, an illustration came to me: What if we took our eyes off of our own situations, life-happenings, struggles, highs and lows, and put our eyes on those around us? Can you imagine how the world around us and the relationships we are in would change? The possibilities are endless!!

So what if the cashier at the grocery story or department store wasn't the most polite person in your day.

So what if the guy down the street has his music cranked so loud that it makes your ears bleed.
 
So what if that person cut you off in traffic or raced by you.

So what if you had plans to be somewhere at 9:00 a.m. and you walked out of the house 10-15 minutes later than usual.

So what if a parent at your child's school gives you an attitude.

Maybe that cashier is trying to figure out how her income from that job is going to continue to put food on the table, a roof over her kids' head, children in child care (so she can have THAT job). Maybe that (annoying) guy cranks his music to drown out his life's struggles and that's how he escapes it. Maybe your plans to be somewhere at a certain time weren't in line with God's plans; maybe He kept you from being in an accident that you could have possibly been in while traveling to that place you wanted to be at soooo badly. Maybe that parent with the attitude has had her last straw drawn, by people who have taken advantage of her politeness.

The 11 year old boy in Dolphin Tale had his own struggles. And just like that young man, we have all (at least I think so) thrown our own pity parties. I'm guilt as charged. Sometimes my own boo-hoos get in the way of me seeing those who are struggling worse than I am.

This boy (in Dolphin Tale) finds something that takes the focus off of him and puts the focus on something else. A dolphin named Winter. When his cousin comes back from war, pierced with the remnants of what war is, the boy can actually see how he was at one point, or that's how I see that portion played out in the movie.

Maybe life isn't about how sad we are. Maybe life is about helping those who may be hurting worse than us. Who may be struggling harder than us.

Maybe life is about moving past ourselves and moving closer or towards those who need us most. Sometimes in life we have to try a tad-bit harder to see past the hurts that we are afflicted by.

Stop.

Take a look around.

I bet you find someone to smile at. Say "Hello" to. Ask "How are you doing, today?" What I bet you find in return is someone who is willing to smile back and to open a portion of their heart to you ... just to have someone to listen to THEM.

Song is from the ending of Dolphin Tale.

Your turn. Start over today. Don't wait until tomorrow. What will your TALE be this week? This month? This year?