Think About Such Things
I once discovered that a relative, who lived in a distant state, did not want to have contact with me. I was surprised. I did not know of any problem between us. But when I thought more about it, I recalled that there was a painful issue that had troubled the extended family and I wondered if that might be the cause of the estrangement.
Maybe a friendly letter will help, I reasoned.
So I began to write, sharing news and including some memories of some nice things she had done for me, with appreciation noted. I typed what I thought was a good letter and I planned to print it and send it the following week.
A few days later, I suddenly remembered another nice gesture she had done for me, which I had not included in the first draft. I soon got back to my computer and added that to the letter, with an expression of thanks for her kind deed. Before I turned off the computer, another memory flashed into my mind and I added that one. The letter was getting longer than I originally planned and I decided to add page numbers. I closed my computer, intending to send the letter when I had time to find a stamp and address an envelope.
As the days passed, I realized that I had never stopped to think before about all the good this family member had done for me. Previously I had focused on some negative things that had happened that involved her, and I had forgotten the good things she did. The process of writing the letter was beginning to change my whole attitude toward her.
Then one day it dawned on me that this relative had made a suggestion to me when I was a teen that I should consider attending a Christian high school. The particular school was far away from home and it would require a move in order to attend. But another relative lived near the school and offered to provide housing. I followed the suggestion, attended that school for four years, and as a result of the influences there I made the choice to go into Christian ministry.
As I considered her suggestion, and the results of following it, it dawned on me that her advice had changed the entire trajectory of my life. I was impressed with this relative as never before. Because she was a step-relative and I lived near her for only a few years, I had not thought she was important to me, but I was discovering otherwise.
The experience reminded me of the power of the instruction written so long ago: “…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,” wrote the Apostle Paul, “think about such things” (Philippians 4.8)