Don't Push Others

Remember those childhood playground rules? Don't push others. Don't take something that's not yours. Don't go beyond the boundaries.

As adults, we think we've outgrown the need for such rules. We're adults, so isn't it obvious we'll be considerate of others and won't overstep boundaries? The problem is we as adults don't remind ourselves of the basic rules often enough. And we hurt others. And we get hurt.

Watch small children play. One child pushes another out of the way for the swing, and the screaming follows. It must seem like the end of the world to that child...and yet, ten minutes later, the children are not only playing but have left the swing to move on to something else. Or, as a children is running laps up and down the slide with a group of other children, he loses his balance and falls at the bottom. By the sound of the screams, you wonder if he should go to the hospital. And yet, a hug, a kiss, and a bandage are all is needed to send him on to the next adventure.

I wonder what we can learn from the way children deal with trials. Not that I think we adults should throw temper tantrums, but we often have the opposite approach as children. We bump into each other all the time. (After all, we're bigger, and it's easier to bump into each other!) Sometimes we end up bruised, but do we say something right away? Or do we think about it, talk about it with others, and simmer? It's like we keep poking at our bruises, because we want to remember what happened. But we'd certainly heal faster if we just turned to the person right away and said, "Ouch. That hurt! Could we please try not to run into and bruise each other?"

Or sometimes we unexpectedly fall. Falling seems to hurt more as an adult! (I guess, we have farther to fall.) We think it's easier to just stay where we fell. Whether it's that we think it takes too much energy to get up, or we think someone should come by and help us, we'll sometimes sit in our own self-pity for a long time...and all the time, our muscles just get more stiff and sore from sitting. Action is healing.

But action, whether it's letting someone know we're hurt by their behavior and words or asking someone to help, must be mature. And this is where being an adult helps. We know what to do. We just have to decide to do it. So ask for help, apologize to others, let them know you're hurt or you need help. They might not know you fell. They might not know they bumped into you. And yes, it's true, they might not care, and that hurts worse, but give people the benefit of the doubt. God does.

Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. - Job 4:4 (NLT)

P.S. As I was writing this, I heard the words of Chris Tomlin's We Fall Down. What a perfect reminder of God's timing and provision.

We fall down.

We lay our crowns.

At the feet of Jesus.

The greatness of Your Mercy and love.

At the feet of Jesus.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.