Crossing Paths
When we arrived for our second view of the meerkat area at the zoo on Monday, I saw the little guy from Arkansas who had asked me how I got to the zoo. I again saw his large family who were dressed alike in multicolored tie-dyed T-shirts. I saw a dad and several children. However, as I discreetly searched their faces for the second time, I never saw a mama. I found myself wondering about their story.
We cross paths with many people as we walk through life. Even when we are very young, we have the opportunity to make people smile, as that sweet little guy made me smile. All through our lives, we have opportunities to share the wonder, joys, and sorrows of the people we meet.Â
Thank you for sharing wonder, joy, and sorrow with your children day after day. I hope you don’t tire of my quoting this verse from Romans 12.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15
That verse is nestled in the midst of the many instructions of Romans 12. These teach us to serve, to teach and exhort, to be generous and diligent, to be cheerful, to detest evil and cling to good, to be devoted to one another and to honor them, to be fervent, to serve the Lord, to be humble, to respect what is right in the sight of all people, to be at peace with all people as far as it depends on us.
The chapter begins with this encouragement:
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
The chapter ends with these words, words that we, our children, and the world need so desperately to obey:
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21